Codename: Warriors Next Dimension, The Movie: Darkest Elements
by S.A.Ruiz TheInterceptingDragon
Summary: When Aang's Avatar-State becomes corrupted by dark forces, he goes on a mindless rampage that threatens the ones he loves as well as the entire world. But unknown to him is not only is he the key to an interdimensional war, but his rampage has alerted both sides to his location! Continues canon of A:TLA/The Promise/The Search. Pairings: OC&Toph, Aang&Katara, Numbuh 1&OC, Zuko&Mai.
1. Act 1: A Corruption of Hope

(I do not own any of these properties. All rights go to their respective owners and affiliates)

Author's note: **Hold on!** If you haven't read Codename: Warriors Next Dimension Season 1 (Episodes 1-9), then please, read that first or you will be very confused as to just what in the Multiverse is going on in this crazy story! Due to my efforts to make this story as much like an actual TV and Movie series as possible, I decided to convert the original final three episodes of season 1 into this "theatrical movie" special, and thus, this story is actually a bridge between seasons 1 and 2 of the main series.

Now, with that said, welcome everyone! Finally, Aang and the rest of Team Avatar will be making their long-due debut on this series and I just wanted to clear some things up. First off, I will be continuing the canon set by **Avatar: The Last Airbender**, as well as the graphic-novel sequels, **The Promise **and** The Search**. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, **The Rift** is a couple months away from being released, so I obviously have no idea what new canon will be established. Right now, we don't know specifically when Republic City was founded, when or if Fire-Lord Zuko ever married Mai, or even who Toph ends up with (I'm assuming these questions will be addressed in the next graphic-novels) so I've decided to come up with my own answers to those questions (plus more) for now, and thus, will continue the canon using what we know so far, along with some speculation and a few crossover twists of my own. Don't worry, non-fans, for just as with the One Piece arc, I'll provide background where appropriate. Thank you all so much for reading, and I hope you all enjoy my magnum opus! (Until season 2, that is!).

* * *

(The Fire Nation Royal Palace, 108 A.S.C. _(After Sozin's Comet)_ - Eight years after the Hundred Year War)

"_Why, Aang?! Why did you do this?!" screamed Katara, as she knelt crying over an unidentified body. All around her raged a great fire, and above her, a swirling vortex of darkness that consumed everything that it pulled in. "Why did you kill him?! Why did you kill all of those innocent people?! You killed them Aang! Our friends . . . they're all dead!"_

_Aang tried to get closer as he responded, "I don't know what you're talking about! We have to escape from this place! Katara, please―"_

"_Get away from me, you monster!" she cried, bending what little water remained within her leather water-skin into a spike of ice that shot straight at his heart._

_Just before the ice hit him, he realized who the body was―It was her older brother, Sokka._

_The shock of what he had seen, combined with the pain from the ice-spike, drove him over the edge and caused him to enter into the Avatar state. But something was very wrong. Instead of emanating white light from his eyes and his arrow-tattoos, they turned pitch-black and brought about a sudden rush of insane fury. He then launched a massive sphere of, not air, water, earth, or fire, but of darkness directly at Katara, instantly consuming her._

"Agh! No! Please, no!" he cried loudly, sitting up on his bed.

"Aang! What's wrong?! Are you under attack?!" yelled Sokka, busting through the door to his sleeping quarters as he swung his Water Tribe machete around in the dark.

Using his Firebending, Aang lit a flame over his palm and held it up, lighting the room to show Sokka that there was no danger.

_Bending_ was an ancient art that allowed a person to control an element using their inner chi, or life-force, and enhance it through specific movements that were based on real life Kung Fu styles: Baguazhang for Airbending, Tai Chi Chuan for Waterbending, the Hung Gar Animal styles (specifically Tiger and Crane) for Earthbending, and Northern Shaolin Fist for Firebending.

"Sorry for waking and alarming you, Sokka. I just had a horrible nightmare. It was the worst that I've ever had, actually. It felt way too real."

"Really?! What was it about? Toph's Earthbending lessons?" asked Sokka, laughing at his own joke.

Aang didn't want to divulge any unnecessary details, and simply said, "I dreamt that you and Katara had . . . died."

"That _is_ horrible!" shouted Sokka, looking shocked.

"Sokka, can you please pipe down?!" sounded Katara's voice from another room, "Some of us are trying to sleep! Zuko's wedding is _tomorrow_, Remember?!"

"Technically it's today, because it's already after mid―"

"Hey, Sokka, how about a midnight ass-whooping?!" This time, it was Toph's voice. She was dead serious too.

"Right! Sorry!" he replied, then whispered to Aang, "Women! Am I right?"

When Aang didn't at least humor him with some sort of laugh, Sokka noticed that he stared at the flame in his hand rather intensely.

It was almost . . . fearfully.

"Aang?" asked Sokka, truly concerned now, "In your nightmare, how was it that we died?"

"I'm not sure. You were already gone when it started. But . . . Katara . . ." he stopped and looked away. It was too vivid and just too painful to remember. "One thing's for sure: this was no ordinary dream. I don't know why, Sokka, but I suddenly have the most horrible feeling that something really bad is coming."

"Do you think that it was a vision of the future?" asked Sokka, afraid of the answer.

"I don't know. But whether it was a vision, or not, I intend to make sure that it does not become a reality, no matter what―I promise."

* * *

**Codename: Warriors Next Dimension, the Movie:**

**Darkest Elements**

(Opening theme: Blind Guardian – "_Banish from Sanctuary_" – 00:00 to 02:35)

* * *

**Act I: A Corruption of Hope**

(The Cul-de-sac, Peach Creek)

"There's too many of them! Everyone, fall back to Ed's yard, now!" yelled Eddy, shooting at the approaching Xenomorphs as Samurai Jack instantly beheaded another three nearby. "Kevin, Rolf, I need you two to cover the others while my solar-rifle cools down!"

"Got it, _Lieutenant Dork_!" replied Kevin, aiming at a group of Xenomorphs that ran after Sarah, Jimmy, and Nazz.

Rolf, who had been defending their flank from his yard, ran over and also provided cover-fire, but immediately needed to cool-down as well.

"Sock-Head, get off of the buggy, will ya! I need you over here to cover our flank!" commanded Eddy, drawing his sword and striking down an alien that had pounced from behind.

Double D quickly jumped out from his isolated position on the turret seat of one of the three Doom-Buggies, which had all been depleted of ammunition earlier in the battle when the massive, initial horde had overrun the cul-de-sac. He then stood beside the others, shooting with his solar-pistol as more Xenomorphs soon poured out from behind the burned and broken fence that lined the alley-way. But before the feral creatures could reach them, a giant fist suddenly struck them all away, killing them instantly.

"Very much obliged!" shouted Double D, as Luffy retracted his shrinking fist.

"Nice, Luffy! Keep it up! We have more incoming!" yelled Eddy, shooting into another approaching horde.

"Commander Numbuh 529, sir, we're going to need some reinforcements!" Double D yelled into his WND communicator, "It seems our simple extraction mission has turned into full-blown war!"

"On our way!" sounded the response.

"This is pretty fun!" exclaimed Luffy, laughing as he spun around, killing three aliens at once with a stretchy roundhouse kick.

Zoro, using all three of his swords, sliced through an entire line of them with minimal effort as he made his way across the cul-de-sac to regroup, as did Usopp, who had his trusty, high-powered sniper-slingshot out, unleashing round after round of his signature _Exploding Star_ ammunition, which blew multiple aliens to bits with every shot.

"These guys that you brought back are totally unreal!" exclaimed Kevin, cooling down his rifle.

"I know, right?" agreed Eddy.

Meanwhile, Sanji, who was tasked with protecting Sarah, Jimmy, Nazz, and Johnny, was in Ed's house, fighting off an invading group of the horrible creatures while the others ran into the basement to hide in Ed's room.

Ed had also accompanied Sanji in order to protect Sarah, and used his horned monster toy to blow massive streams of fire at any Xenomorph that came within twenty feet of them. When Sanji saw that they had a weakness toward fire, he utilized his _Diable Jambe_ fighting technique, dealing extremely strong, flaming kicks that scorched straight through the acidic abominations.

Suddenly, the sounds of thunder sounded from the skies, when out of nowhere, a voice boomed from above: "The cavalry has arrived!"

It was Dexter from within his giant fighter-robot, the Robo-Dexo 2000, as it flew through the air and then descended onto the far end of the cul-de-sac. Upon its right shoulder were Numbuhs 3 and 4, while Numbuhs 1 and 2 stood on its left, all holding solar-rifles. Numbuh 529 stood on its head, holding nothing more than his twin, black-bladed machetes. They immediately jumped down from it and ran into the fray, slicing and shooting their way to Ed's front yard where the others awaited, and held their ground alongside them.

When everyone was clear from the horde, Dexter aimed his robot's missile launchers at the heart of the mass of writhing Xenomorphs and unleashed a torrent of small missiles that sent blazing pieces of crispy, alien carcasses flying in almost every direction.

Swiftly as the wind, Numbuh 529, Zoro, and Jack quickly dealt with the remaining few Xenomorphs, slicing every one of them to bits within a matter of seconds.

"Yeah! Take that you ugly, acid-spewing bastards!" cheered Numbuh 4, fist-pumping into the air. "They were all like, _boom!_ And then they were all like, _blegh!_"

"Hurry, get everyone to the ship before more arrive!" shouted Dexter from his robot. "This planet is no longer safe!"

"Sanji, bring everyone out! We're leaving!" shouted Usopp into his communicator.

"Right!" came his reply.

But when they were all out, three figures carrying suitcases suddenly jumped out from behind Ed's house and ran toward them.

"Who the hell are they?" asked Zoro.

"Kankers!" yelled Ed, "Run away!"

"Wait, you good-for-nothings," shouted Lee Kanker, the oldest of the three sisters who had big, red-hair that covered both of her eyes. She wore a white tank-top with red polka-dots, and tight blue jeans. "You weren't seriously gonna leave us behind to croak, were ya?"

"I'm definitely considering it," replied Eddy, giving her a stern look.

"Shrimp!" she shouted, furiously.

"That's _Lieutenant_ Shrimp, to you!" retorted Eddy.

"Ladies, just get on, will you!" yelled Double D, already on the vehicle.

"That's my Double D, for ya! He's such a sweetie!" said Marie Kanker, who was the middle-sister that looked like a punk-rocker. She had short, blue hair that covered her right eye, dark make-up around both of her eyes, a black tank-top, green, non-camouflaged, BDU pants, and a black wrist-band around her left wrist.

"Now _that's_ a gentleman!" shouted May, the youngest sister who wore a gray t-shirt and red shorts, and had long, blonde hair and buck-teeth. She was flipping Eddy the bird as they passed him by.

Suddenly, a flicker of guilt swept over Eddy. Not for the Kankers, but for his brother.

"Where's my Big Bro?" he asked.

"We ditched him at the trailer park. He was too chicken to come with us," replied Marie Kanker, squeezing next to a frightened-looking Double D.

"I've gotta go!" yelled Eddy, running off to Ed's backyard.

"Eddy! Where on Earth are you going?" asked Double D, confused.

"I've gotta help him, Sock-Head! He may be a big jerk, but he's still family!"

"Then wait just a darn minute, mister! Ed and I are coming too!"

But Eddy had already jumped Ed's fence and run into the woods.

"We'll try to be back quickly!" yelled Double D to the others as he and Ed ran into the woods after him.

* * *

(Fire Nation Royal Palace - Banquet Hall)

"I would like to thank everyone here for attending this most wonderful celebration!" announced a tearful Iroh, Zuko's tea-obsessed, yet loving and wise uncle who had been an invaluable ally to Aang and his friends during the apex of the war. Zuko even considered him as his true father over his biological father, the previous, war-mongering, Fire-Lord Ozai. "I cannot tell you just how happy this day makes me! Welcome to the family, Fire-Lady Mai!"

Everyone broke into applause, cheering and whistling as Mai and Zuko stood, kissed, and waved at them.

Iroh continued: "I would also like to formally welcome Avatar Aang and his friends into the family as well! I remember that long ago, it was my nephew's sole purpose to capture the Avatar and bring him back here as a prisoner of war. But now, Aang is the Best-Man at his wedding! Like a wise man once said: The most effective way to destroy an enemy, is to make them a friend!"

Everyone cheered as Zuko and Aang, sitting at either side of Iroh at the head of the table, stood up and bowed to one another before taking their seats once more. Katara sat to Aang's left, while Mai sat to Zuko's right. Beside Mai sat Ty Lee (the Maid of Honor), and Toph, while beside Katara sat Sokka, and Suki.

Aang, age 20, was the last of the Air Nomads, who were once one of the great four nations in the world (which also included: the Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom, and the Fire Nation) until they were wiped out by the Fire Nation armies, who were all greatly enhanced by a passing fire-comet. As a result, he was also the last Airbender in the entire world. Being the current Avatar, he was also the only person able to bend all four of the elements and thus, was a very powerful and skilled fighter.

Besides being a vegetarian and a pacifist, he was also a kind, caring, and fun-loving young man who was wise beyond his years and would do anything to protect his friends.

His appearance, like all Air Nomads, resembled that of a Shaolin monk, for he was completely bald (shaven, not naturally) and he wore a traditional, red, orange, and yellow Air Nomad outfit which resembled the robes of the master or spiritual leader of a Shaolin monastery. But his most distinguishing feature was his blue arrow tattoos that ran the length of his back, and branched out, slightly wrapping around the length of his arms and legs, as well as over his head. The five arrows ended on the tops of his hands and feet, with the last ending on his forehead, and they symbolized his status as an Airbending master, which he received at only twelve years old (the youngest in history!).

Katara, age 22, was a master Waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe. She was Aang's Waterbending teacher, and had also started a close romantic relationship with him when the Hundred-Year War had concluded.

Having lost her mother at a young age to a Fire Nation raid of the Southern Water Tribe, she later fulfilled a sort of motherly-role to her older brother Sokka and saw to domestic duties (like sewing, cooking, and cleaning) when she grew a little older as was customary for women of the Water Tribe, and as a result, became an independent, strong-willed, loving, caring, compassionate and protective young woman who was driven by her strong sense of morality and justice.

Her appearance, like all members of the Water Tribe, somewhat resembled that of the Inuit Native-Americans. She had a beautiful light-brown skin-tone, large blue eyes, long, flowing brown hair that she usually wore tied back with a knot, allowing only two thick locks to flow over her shoulders, and a curvaceously toned body that had filled in well in all the right places. She wore a traditional, light-blue Water Tribe dress that had white fur trim along the neck and sleeves, and had a line of white silk, crescent moons embroidered along one side of the skirt.

Sokka, age 23, was a fearsomely skilled warrior from the Southern Water Tribe. Being a master swordsman and a very intelligent, natural-born leader, he was also a creative and strategic genius, seeing as he was responsible for planning and leading many of their past victories.

But he didn't always show his genius. Most of the time, he was a highly carnivorous, accident-prone, sarcastic, immature goof-ball who constantly spewed bad jokes and even worse one-liners. But in the end, Sokka was a kind, loyal friend, and a proud, strong-willed, and determined warrior who would do anything to protect those whom he loved.

He had the same skin-tone, eye-color, and hair-color as his sister, a thin, muscular build, well-defined facial features, a small goatee on his chin, and had the back and sides of his head closely shaven, leaving only a small patch of long hair along the top of his head like a mohawk, except it was all tied back into a small tail on the back of his head (a Water Tribe men's hairstyle known as a "Warrior's Wolf Tail"). He wore a formal and traditional light-blue Tai-Chi uniform that had the Water Tribe's symbol of curling water waves within a circle, on its back.

Toph Beifong, age 20, was a master Earthbender who claimed to be the most powerful in the world, and for good reason. She was so skilled, that she even invented Metalbending by sensing earth-based impurities within metal. Blind since birth, she was never truly in the dark due to her amazing ability of _seismic sense_, or "seeing" through the bottoms of her feet using Earthbending to sense everything that was in contact with the Earth. As such, she never wore shoes, or if she did, she would pop out the soles in order to stay in contact with the ground. Combined with her remaining, heightened senses, she had an incredible sense of awareness to the point of sensing things much before the others could, even from a very long distance, and even if it was deep underground. She learned this ability by training with the giant, blind, cave-dwelling badgermoles who were the original Earthbenders. This training also resulted in her unique Earthbending style that was based on the Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis style of Kung Fu.

Born to a wealthy and prominent Earth Kingdom family, Toph was treated as a helpless and delicate child by everyone, especially by her overprotective parents, and thus, was constantly guarded, watched over, and catered to. Secretly an Earthbending prodigy, she constantly snuck off to train with the badgermoles, and participated in and became the champion of various Earthbending tournaments as "the Blind Bandit". Later, she ran away with Aang and the others in order to be his Earthbending teacher after finally revealing her true self to her parents. On top of her tough, badass, independent, and tomboyish attitude, she was also stubborn, confrontational, brutally honest, and though she had been instructed in fine-manners, she had a purposely unrefined demeanor (she had no problem publicly picking her nose or toes, or even burping loudly after a good meal). But on the other hand, she was very much a loyal, courageous, protective, and extremely powerful ally who truly cared for and loved her friends.

She had light skin, large, pale-green eyes, a well-filled, curvaceous body that rivaled even Katara's (minus her chest, though), and long, raven-black hair that she kept bundled up behind her head in a big round bunch that was even visible from the front, where she had two thick bangs that framed the sides of her beautiful face, down to her chin, as well as three thinner and shorter bangs that hung down between them that reached down to the sides of her nose. She wore a green, tiara-shaped hair-band that separated her bangs from the rest of her hair, and had two small golden bars hanging down from both of its ends by her ears, which gave the illusion that she was wearing earrings. Her outfit was also the only non-formal one, for she instead wore her new, usual outift which consisted of a light-green with yellow trim Chinese Qipao-style top that ended just a few inches under her breasts, exposing her well-toned midriff, and had sleeves that ended just past her elbows. She also wore a pair of light-green, Capri-length pants that widened up toward the bottom, resembling relatively skinny, Japanese Hakama pants. They were especially form-fitting around her thin waist and bountiful hips, and ended just above her ankles, on which she wore studded metal anklets, as well as studded metal bracers on each wrist. Like always, she was barefoot, though her toenails had been painted green by Katara with the symbol for Earthbending.

Zuko, age 24, was a master Firebender and the current Fire-Lord, ruler of the Fire Nation. Once an enemy of Team Avatar, he eventually realized the error of his ways and joined them, even going so far as to teach Aang Firebending in order to defeat Fire-Lord Ozai.

Though he was hot-tempered and very serious, he was also a compassionate and wise leader, as well as a good and loyal friend.

He had a thin, yet muscular build, light skin, nape-length, dark-brown hair that he wore in a top-knot, amber eyes, and had a large scar on the left side of his face, surrounding his left eye, which he had received about a decade before when he was forced into an _Agni Kai_, or Fire Duel, with his own father for speaking out of line during a war-meeting. He wore his royal, black and red, Fire-Lord robes, as well as the golden, flame-shaped ornament that was placed behind his top-knot as a crown-like symbol of his status.

"Aang, are you alright?" asked Zuko, who held Mai close as she nestled against him. He had noticed that Aang seemed to be lost in thought for most of the day.

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah! Don't worry about it," he replied, unconvincingly.

"Yo, _Snoozles_, can you guys go on a wooden floor or something? I really don't want to keep sensing that," said Toph. Snoozles was her nickname for Sokka.

"Sorry, Toph," said Suki, pulling away from Sokka. They had been making out for a few minutes already.

"But, Suki, I haven't seen you in months! I've been really frustrated, lately!" he whined.

"We'll save it for later, Sokka," replied Suki.

"Yeah, Sokka, think about the rest of us," said Katara, "and plus, you're right beside me! I can hear everything!"

"Well now you know how I felt around you and Aang when _you_ guys were sucking face non-stop right after the war ended!" He then followed this by placing both hands on his cheeks, making a funny, smoochie face at Katara and then, in a hilariously high-pitched voice that was meant to be an impression of her, said: "Oh, Aang! I didn't know that you were a master _Tonguebender_ as well!"

Everyone, even Aang, laughed hysterically as Katara turned bright red. She was about to comically beat him when Iroh, who bore a huge grin on his face, yelled: "Let the feasting begin!"

The royal cooks and servants promptly busted through the large double doors that lined the huge banquet hall, wheeling in cart after cart of gourmet meals to the massive feasting table.

"Woo! Bring on the food! I skipped breakfast and lunch for this!" cheered Sokka, drumming on his belly while eyeing an entire, roasted elephant-pig, intently. If there was one thing that Sokka loved as much as Suki (or weapons), it was definitely food.

"I hope you have some good vegetarian dishes!" said Aang, hopefully.

"Of course!" said Zuko, "How could I forget about you?"

Aang smiled and bowed his head in thanks as a rather large platter of steamed and specially-seasoned vegetables, nuts, and fruits, was placed in front of him, causing his mouth to water.

"Speaking on that, I never got to congratulate you two right after the ceremony, so, congratulations! I'm so happy for the both of you!" said Katara, "I only hope that my wedding will be as beautiful as yours."

Aang nearly choked on the first bite of his food, prompting both Mai and Toph to quietly laugh to themselves.

"You're hopeless, Twinkle Toes!" laughed Toph, biting ferociously into a large leg of meat. Twinkle Toes was her nickname for Aang.

Sokka immediately attacked his meal, voraciously wolfing down entire slabs of elephant-pig meat in a comical fashion while the other guests looked on in both amazement and horror.

"So," said Ty Lee, daintily eating her meal, "who's gonna be the next lucky bride?"

This time, both Aang and Sokka nearly choked on their food.

"Will it be you, Katara? Or maybe you, Suki?" sang Ty Lee in her usual, bubbly manner, "Who knows? Maybe it'll be me and one of the hundreds of cute guys who are always flirting with me!"

Toph suddenly arose from the table and turned to leave when Katara called out to her.

"Where are you going, Toph?"

"Don't mind me, Sugar-Queen. I just suddenly lost my appetite," she replied, walking out through a large set of double doors.

Ty Lee turned towards Katara with a cutesy, sad look on her face and asked, "Was it something I said?"

Katara wasn't sure and simply answered, "No, I'm sure it wasn't. Don't worry, I'll go talk to her."

"No!" blurted Ty Lee, "Please, let me. Sorry, I just can't shake the feeling that it was somehow me."

Reluctantly, Katara nodded her approval and immediately, Ty Lee was flipping her way out of the room, garnering some stares and cheers from the other guests.

"So, Aang, Sokka told me that you had a pretty bad nightmare last night?" she asked, genuinely curious and concerned.

"Oh, um . . . yeah," said Aang, surprised by the question.

"Why don't you talk to us about it?"

"Actually, now's probably not the time to discuss it."

"No, please, Aang," insisted Zuko, finally understanding why he had been down, earlier, "I'm actually curious as to what sort of nightmare could have been so bad, that it even scared the Avatar."

"Well, um, you see―"

"Just tell the damn story, _Cue-ball_," said Mai, in her usual monotone. Figures, even at her own wedding celebration, she was still somewhat bored.

"I guess I can tell you guys, then," said Aang, finally succumbing to their pressures. "It felt so real. I was standing in some part of your palace, Zuko, and it was completely blazing with fire, and had some sort of dark vortex that swirled up in the air. In the center of the room was Katara, crying and hunched over . . . over . . ." he shut his eyes as he remembered the pain that the scene had brought about.

"My dead body, right?" guessed Sokka, looking serious.

Everyone had a shocked look on their face when Aang nodded and continued.

"Yes. She was mourning, and then she accused me of having killed, not only you, but everyone else, too. When I tried to get her out of there, she called me a monster and attacked me with a fatal Waterbending technique―an ice-spike, right to my heart―and I went berserk. I flew into an unexplainable rage and entered the Avatar-State. But it wasn't like normal. Instead of light, I was filled with darkness, and I actually began _bending_ the darkness, which I then hurled at Katara, instantly killing her. That's when I woke up, screaming."

Everyone stayed silent. They didn't expect the dream to be _that_ bad.

"My biggest fear though, is that it may have been a premonition," said Aang, holding his head in his hands.

"No," said Iroh, surprising everyone, "No Avatar has ever received a premonition. But cosmic warnings in the form of a vision or dream, now that is much more likely. It may be just as the shared-dream between you and Zuko during the Harmony-Restoration Movement that warned you of what you would have had to do if things had continued on their course. I believe that the cosmic energy in the universe is trying to warn you again. But of what, I'm not sure."

"I think I might know, then," said Aang, ominously, "I've been feeling something weird lately. It feels like the cosmic energy that I usually feel, only, it's a bit off―almost as if it were corrupted by something. I think it's a warning to not go into the Avatar-State, or I could end up being filled with the very darkness that I saw, and lose control."

Once again, the others didn't really know what to say.

"What a buzz-kill," sighed Mai, of all people.

"Why don't I go check up on the girls?" said Katara, getting up and heading out of the same door that both Toph and Ty Lee had gone through.

Aang still looked down when Sokka, finally coming up with something _sort of_ positive, nudged him in the shoulder and said, "You hear that, Aang? It's a _warning!_ Not a premonition! Looks like we don't have to worry about it! Just don't glow it up, er, uh, I mean _dark_ it up, hehehe."

Aang nodded sadly and looked down at his hands as his thoughts ran rampant. Iroh's input made him feel a little better, but he couldn't bring himself to be completely sure.

_I hope you're right._

* * *

Ty Lee quietly came out onto the palace courtyard and looked around in the moonlight, where she eventually found Toph sitting cross-legged about twenty feet to her right, bending an earth tent over herself.

She stealthily snuck over to it, but before she could knock, Toph announced, "I know you're there, Ty Lee."

"How'd you know it was me?" she pouted.

"I thought it was Twinkle Toes at first, what with him being so light on his feet and all, but then I noticed you began sneaking _on your hands―_Yeah, kind of a dead giveaway."

"Oh! Well then . . . knock, knock! Hahaha," she laughed nervously.

"What do you want?"

"I just wanted to talk."

Suddenly, the earth tent shot back into the ground, garnering a comically surprised reaction from Ty Lee, who back flipped away from it with a hilariously frightened face-fault.

Toph gracefully rose to her feet and crossed her arms while tapping her foot impatiently. "Well? Are you gonna talk, or not?!"

It took a short moment for Ty Lee to compose herself before she asked, "Why did you leave us, back there?

"I don't know!" shouted Toph, throwing her arms up into the air.

"Was it because of what I said about me and the other girls possibly getting married?"

"I . . . guess? I'm not sure! Ugh!" yelled Toph, turning away from her with flushed cheeks. She was really embarrassed by her reaction and face-palmed herself for it.

It was strange. She was usually so direct and confrontational, but this time, she couldn't bring herself to just come out and say what her problem was.

"Toph, I hope that I'm not prying into your business, or anything, but are you currently in a . . . troubled relationship?"

"Hmph! I wish!" laughed Toph. After realizing what she had said, she quickly face-palmed again. She didn't mean to let that slip.

Suddenly, Ty Lee tearfully understood what the problem was and immediately ran over, pulling Toph into a friendly, yet tight embrace. "I know exactly how you feel!"

"You do?" asked Toph, actively and comically trying to escape.

"You and I are a lot alike! You see, I grew up with six identical sisters, and―"

"Okay, now you've lost me. I was an only child!" yelled Toph, clearly frustrated.

"No, just listen! I was part of a set of seven sisters, yet, while growing up, all of the boys paid my sisters all the attention and none to me because I actively tried to distinguish myself from them. I wanted to be my own person, and ended up attention-starved for it. They're all in seemingly happy relationships right now, and three of them are getting married soon―all except for me. I'm happy most of the time, but I'm also very lonely. I guess that's why I flirt with guys so much."

Toph finally understood her point and sat down on the ground, sighing.

Ty Lee did the same but instead, sat on the ledge of a fancy fountain. "Alright, girl, lay it on me! What's wrong?"

Toph sighed again, and began: "Lately, I've just been seeing―I mean, _sensing―_what Aang and Katara have, as well as Sokka and Suki, and like you, I guess . . . I've just been feeling really lonely. Also, being at a wedding isn't exactly helping."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," said Ty Lee.

"While running my Metalbending Academy, I don't really have enough time to be in a relationship, or anything. In fact, I'm only here because my top three _Lily-Livers_ were eager to finally practice teaching and volunteered to temporarily run the school in my absence. But I can't just leave it to them forever! I mean, I have to return sometime, right?"

Lily-Livers were what Toph called her students.

"Why not date a student, then? That way you can be with them all the time! And I'm sure you've got some handsome, buff, Earthbender men in there!"

"Tried to―didn't work out at all. Also, hello?! I'm blind, remember?! I wouldn't know or care if they were handsome or not!" yelled Toph, waving her hands over her face.

"Oh, right! Sorry, I just forget sometimes!" laughed Ty Lee, nervously.

It was a somewhat common running gag for the members of Team Avatar, especially Sokka, to forget that Toph was blind due to her being so independent and aware. Once, during the war, it had gotten so bad, that they kept holding wanted posters of her in front of her face, expecting her to read them until she grew hilariously frustrated and reminded them that she was blind.

"And that's another problem! No guy really wants to be with a blind woman! It's not fair, damn it!" she stomped her foot and caused an earth column to shoot up from the ground, near them. She even had tears of frustration streaming from her eyes―a real rarity, as she wasn't usually one to display her emotions so outwardly, much less actually cry.

"Why exactly didn't your student relationships work? Is that what those stupid jerks said? That they didn't want a blind girlfriend?" asked Ty Lee, moving closer to comfort Toph, who was crying into her own hands.

"It's not that they didn't work. It's that they never even started!"

"What happened, then?"

"First of all, they never even asked me out! I had to be the one to take the initiative, and they would either quickly turn me down out of fear or intimidation, I'm assuming, or go on one measly date before we would both realize that we had made a horrible mistake. Of the guys that agreed to go out with me, every tough guy turned out to be an insufferable ass, and every sensitive guy turned out to be a total weakling! Every funny guy turned out to be a complete clown, and every serious guy turned out to be nothing more than an Earthbender version of Zuko! Plus, all of them patronized me because of my blindness! I got enough of that from my parents! I guess, what I'm saying is that I just can't find the right man. I know that women don't need romance to be happy, but I want it, and I want to enjoy it!"

"Same here," agreed Ty Lee.

"It's kind of funny and ironic that the closest I've ever come to finding the right man was in both Sokka and Aang, but even they don't quite match up with my criteria. Sokka's too clowny, and I can totally whoop his butt, any day. Plus, he's already with Suki, so, you know, too late anyway. And Aang, being the Avatar, is the most powerful Bender in the world! But what I find wrong, besides already being with Katara, is that he doesn't act like it and he's too sensitive and pacifistic. I don't want him to be a tyrannical warlord or anything, but as the Avatar, he could at least be more of a macho tough guy! I want a man who, just like me, isn't afraid or hesitant to knock a few heads together when it's necessary."

Ty Lee had tears in her large, goo-goo eyes as she thought about Sokka. During the war, she too had a big crush on him until her hopes were shot down by Suki. But, not being one to hold a grudge, Ty Lee felt no anger toward her and somewhat moved on. "So then, exactly what kind of guy are you looking for?" asked Ty Lee, genuinely curious as to sort of man could possibly get Toph―an extremely powerful Earthbender with such a tough, tomboy attitude―all hot and bothered.

"I'd like a really strong fighter―a powerful Bender who's able to fight on equal or greater terms than me. He should be brave, tough, smart, and serious, but also funny, kind, and fun-loving when he wants to be. Most importantly though, he should treat me like a real woman and genuinely love me. I know, kind of a really high standard, but what can I say? I don't just want any man. I want to love being with him, and I want him to love being with me."

Ty Lee was surprised and delighted at Toph's answer, responding with: "Sounds like the perfect man, to me!"

When Toph stayed silent and had a sad, pondering look on her face, Ty Lee gave her another hug and asked, "Getting all of this off of your chest must be tough. Are you still feeling sad?"

"I was just thinking that I don't even know how I look like. Katara once told me that I was very pretty, but lately, I haven't been too sure. It's so weird! I've never once cared about my appearance―until now! I know that my looks aren't everything, and I'd hate it if a guy only wanted me for them, but I just want to know if I'm setting my standards too high."

"Can I tell you something?"

"Shoot."

"Until recently, I'd always thought of Princess Azula as the most beautiful woman in the world. I never thought that any other girl could even come close to her. But, boy, was I wrong. I see you now, and you've definitely got her beaten―and not just in your looks or fashion! Seriously, no offense, but for someone who's blind, you sure have a sexy fashion sense. Sure, you could stand to let that beautiful black hair down every once in a while, but―"

"No deal. I have to keep it up or it just gets in the way of my bending."

"Understandable, but as I was saying, any man would be lucky to be with you. Just wait. Time will tell."

"Thank you, Ty Lee," said Toph, feeling much better. She then punched her square in the arm.

"Ow! What was _that_ for?!"

"Don't you tell _anyone_ about this!"

"No problem!"

As soon as they headed inside, Toph kept in contact with the stone wall to sense where she was going due to the oak floor-boards, when she suddenly bumped into someone, whom she immediately recognized.

"Sugar-Queen?"

"Toph . . . I had no idea that you were feeling that way this whole time!" replied Katara.

"Oh no. You seriously heard everything?! But how?―Oh yeah, wood floor. Damn, I should've gone further out there."

"Don't you dare be ashamed! I actually respect you more for not keeping those thoughts bottled up like any other person would. That took a lot of guts―something I know you have in spades. And you, Ty Lee, thank you for helping her feel better. That means so much to me."

They both smiled in thanks when Katara suddenly pulled Toph into a hug.

"Seriously, I'm fine! Will everyone please stop hugging me?!"

* * *

(The Nexus Throne-Room, Lair of the Fallen Hand, Ethereal Wasteland Dimension)

The throne-room was filled with the light and darkness of the permanent worm-holes that lined its walls as a mysterious boy approached the throne, walking within the shadows.

"Welcome to my lair. I trust the transportation was to your liking?" asked Warmaster Surt, sitting on his throne, which appeared to be made from the scorched bones of a massive beast.

He was speaking to Mandark, who had previously been thwarted by the Warriors Next Dimension during an unsuccessful attack on Dexter's laboratory.

"Indeed," he responded, "but a few of your Chimeran soldiers were pestering me the whole way. I killed them all with my exo-suit when we arrived. Is that alright?"

"No worries. You're my newest Head-Scientist, so anyone pestering you would be pestering me as well! Feel free to punish any insubordinate worms as you see fit. So then, shall we talk business?"

"Of course, Warmaster. You three, enter!" Mandark shouted towards the entrance.

Immediately, three large men wearing all-black, military uniforms entered, walking in a straight line. They each carried large rifles and stood still and emotionless after lining up before Surt.

"Your laboratory facility suited my needs well, Warmaster. I was able to manufacture these within a matter of days. I hope you don't mind, but I improved on your previous formula and procedure in order to ensure maximum combat ability, seeing as your last ones were made using corpses that had already been decomposing. My new method for Unisol manufacture involves, let's just say, _fresh_ corpses, as well as some new procedures and advances to the chemical compounds that are involved with the process. I currently have about five hundred Unisols, armed and ready for combat, with more on the way."

"Excellent ―simply excellent, Mandark. With your new improvements, capturing the Avatar should be an easier feat. My other forces, the Xenomorphs and the Chimera, are all spread too thin, capturing other worlds. And my newly acquired Marines are far from ready to start conquering planets. These Unisols will make an excellent addition to my army. Your payment will be quite generous."

"I'm glad to hear it," said Mandark, grinning evilly, "But, no monetary payment is necessary. You see, what I do want is a bit more . . . ambitious."

"Oh? And that would be?"

"I have this list of supplies that I'm going to need. I've recently begun conceiving further upgrades for the Unisols, and I plan on creating an army―the ultimate army, composed entirely of NGUs! Or Next-Generation Unisols, as I call them," he replied.

"Intriguing. Very well, it shall be done."

Surt didn't see it, but Mandark had the most evil grin on his face when his request was approved.

"Thank you, great Warmaster! May the day come soon when your rule stretches to the ends of the Multiverse!"

When he left the throne-room, Mandark quickly headed into his sleeping quarters, and, after locking the door behind him, pulled a cube from underneath his bed.

The cube, usually all black, suddenly began showing a strange display of green, computer coding that seemed to be slowly falling along its six faces.

"Is it done?" emanated a voice.

"Yes. Warmaster Surt agreed to provide me with the necessary materials. It won't be long now. Ha-haha! Ha-haha-haha!"

"Well done, Mr. Astronomonov. Very well done."

* * *

(Park 'n Flush Trailer Park, Peach Creek)

Eddy ran across the scattered mess of trailers as he yelled out for his brother. Upon finally reaching the Kankers' trailer, he kicked the door open and went in. It was a deserted mess, seeing as the Kankers had packed their stuff and abandoned it in a hurry.

He called out once again, "Big Bro! Where are you?! We need to leave!"

Before he walked into the kitchen area, he felt something cold and hard press onto the back of his head, at which he immediately dropped down while simultaneously slicing above himself with the glowing, all-white katana that Jack had given him.

Before he could stand and turn, he noticed a large, disembodied hand holding onto a pistol, fall beside him. He quickly rolled forward to put some distance between himself and this mysterious attacker.

When he stood up, he saw a large, bald man, wearing a black military uniform with a strange headset that had a red, glowing, ocular attachment over his right eye. But strangest of all, he examined the bloody stump where his hand had been without any sort of expression, whatsoever.

No pain, no anger―absolutely nothing.

"What the hell!" cried Eddy as the man suddenly let loose two extremely fast kicks that disarmed him of his weapons, and finished with a spinning, back-piston kick that launched Eddy onto the kitchen table, causing it to break down.

Stepping forward, he ferociously stomped down, but missed his mark as Eddy rolled to the side and swept with a kick of his own as he stood up, but it had no effect on his burly enemy, who simply grabbed and threw him at the fridge, breaking its door and making a mess of its contents.

He then walked back to his weapon and picked it up. But when he took aim, he was suddenly stopped by Ed, who jumped up on his shoulders and wrapped his arms around the behemoth's neck, attempting to choke him out.

"Ed, no!" yelled Double D, shakily holding his solar-pistol at the ready, "Get off so I can shoot!" Taking precaution, he then pressed his communicator and called for back-up.

Ed quickly let go, but Double D suddenly couldn't bring himself to shoot.

"What are you waiting for, Sock-Head?! Shoot him already!" yelled Eddy, climbing out of the fridge.

Before Double D could do anything, the man grabbed Ed from the floor and drop-kicked him across the room.

"Ed!" cried Double D, running to catch his friend.

The man charged at them, but was intercepted by a flying knee to the side of the head from Eddy, knocking him into the TV and the wall. He immediately stood back up and grabbed Eddy, who desperately unleashed punch after punch to the sides of his head, knocking the head-set off as he did so.

The man stumbled into a narrow hall, still holding a striking Eddy, and brutally beat him against the wall. Ed quickly rejoined the fight and head-butted the stranger's back, knocking him over, and followed suit with an elbow drop. But the man simply brushed him aside with a powerful side-swipe, causing Ed to hit his head against the wall.

Eddy, completely angry, threw down ferocious elbow-strikes directly onto the stranger's face while he was still down, but it only earned him a very hard punch and a powerful kick that sent him tumbling out of the hallway and sliding across the kitchen floor in pain.

Standing, the man ran at him but was rammed by Ed again, causing him to trip over Eddy and smash his head over the kitchen sink, leaving him to writhe on the ground.

"Gentlemen, we should leave before he regains his senses!" shouted Double D, picking up their weapons.

"No! Double D, hand me my sword!" shouted Eddy. He was intensely angry and had full intentions to kill this man.

"No, Eddy! He's a human being! He's not just some animal that we can decide to kill!"

"Is _that_ why you didn't shoot him when you had the chance?! Ed and I could have died!"

Double D didn't know what to say and turned away.

"Sword! Now!"

Double D tossed the sword to him and went outside, leaving Ed and Eddy to deal with the stranger.

Holding the sword to the stranger's neck, he asked, "Where is my Big Bro? Tell me, now!"

The man stayed silent and expressionless.

"I swear, chump, I'll run your neck through!"

This time, the man smiled ominously as a loud beeping noise emanated from him.

"Eddy, big boom bad for Ed!" yelled Ed, immediately recognizing the sound, at which he grabbed Eddy and jumped out from the window.

When they were barely a few feet away from it, the trailer suddenly exploded, sending debris everywhere and knocking them over.

"Ed! Eddy! Help!" yelled Double D.

When they looked up, they saw Double D, holding his hands in the air as three more soldiers wearing the same uniforms approached, pointing their assault-rifles at him.

"Damn it!" yelled Eddy, tearfully punching the ground, "We're actually gonna die!"

Just then, two of them collapsed to the ground with black machete blades protruding from their faces.

"Numbuh 529!" exclaimed Double D, joyfully.

When the last soldier turned around to face the assailant, Numbuh 529 swiftly ducked under the rifle-barrel and placed both of his palms, touching at the wrist, vertically on the man's sternum, and then shouted: "Hadouken!"

A blinding flash of light emanated as his palms released an extremely powerful burst of green energy that sent the soldier flying through the air, instantly dead.

The Eds were stunned. Even amongst the Straw Hats, they'd never seen anything like that.

"Gravy!" exclaimed Ed. That was his word for anything that he thought was super-cool.

"What in the world was that?!" exclaimed Double D, bewildered.

"I'll explain it to you later. For now, we have to get moving," he said, offering his hand to Eddy, who was still on all fours after beating the ground in anger. "I'm sorry, Eddy. The ship's Bio-scans showed nothing more than seven people here―you three, plus those four Unisols. They registered as dead bodies, but I knew they were Unisols when they started _moving._ Um, where's the fourth one?"

"Ed and I fought him in the trailer, but he blew himself up when he knew he was beaten," said Eddy, taking his hand and standing up, "Wait a minute, you know what they are?!"

"Yeah. I've faced them before. Now let's go! That's an order!"

Ed and Double D quickly followed, but Eddy remained where he was.

"Eddy?" asked Double D.

"I will find him, Double D. Maybe not now, but I just know that I'll find him, one day, and he'll be alright."

* * *

(The Fire Nation Royal Palace)

The early sunrise was shining through Aang's window as he tossed and turned, still asleep. The same nightmare from before had repeated itself, only this time, it depicted an earlier scene in which he was actually hunting his friends down one by one, killing them all while in his Dark Avatar-State. In the dream, he was bending massive tornados of air, tsunamis of water, rockslides of earth, jet-streams of flames and swirling vortexes of darkness as everyone fought back with every ounce of strength that they had, only to die horribly.

It was too much.

Screaming in the real world, Aang subconsciously entered his Avatar-State again and flew into an uncontrollable rage. He had absolutely no control over himself and, just like in his dream, he was filled with the corrupted cosmic energy that had manifested itself as darkness.

The others immediately awoke and ran to his room, but were easily blown back by the powerful gusts of wind that seeped from behind the door, which eventually blew off of its hinges, pinning Sokka against the wall.

"Always _me_!" he yelled, comically frustrated.

"What's up with Twinkle Toes?!" shouted Toph, thoroughly confused.

"Remember the nightmare that I told you about, yesterday, that Aang had?" shouted Katara, barely audible over the wind, "I think he had it again and accidentally entered the Avatar-State in his sleep!"

"Well just great! So we're dead, now!" she replied.

"Don't say that! I'm gonna try to calm him down!" Katara was about to step away from them when Sokka tackled her to the ground. A massive stream of fire just barely missed them.

"That's probably a bad idea! Aang had already mastered control over his Avatar-State, remember?" said Sokka, "He has no control right now because his mind is clouded by the darkness! You won't get through to him and you'll just end up getting killed!"

"What's going on?!" yelled Zuko, running towards them with Iroh, Mai, Ty Lee, the Kyoshi Warriors, and a whole platoon of palace guards in tow.

"Aang had the nightmare again and slipped into the Avatar-State in his sleep!" shouted Katara, with tears in her eyes. "There's no telling what he might do! He's not even glowing!"

"So he's lost control?" asked Zuko.

Katara nodded as she cried into Sokka's shoulder.

"Then, I'm sorry . . . but I have to protect my city!" he yelled, throwing his robe and boosting himself like a rocket using his Firebending.

"Zuko!" cried Mai, trying to run after him, but Iroh and Ty Lee quickly held her back.

Suddenly, the members of the Order of the White Lotus (who had all attended the wedding) ran out onto the palace courtyard, when one of them, a buff old man who was the king of Omashu, a great Earth Kingdom city, yelled: "Hey everybody! Why's Aang going crazy?!"

"Bumi!" yelled Sokka, "Aang just went out of control! Zuko might need some help!"

King Bumi was a wild, yet madly brilliant old man who looked frail when he wore his robes, but was actually a monstrously powerful and fit Earthbender who, like Toph, also claimed to be the most powerful Earthbender in the world, and also for good reason. Though he couldn't Metalbend like Toph, his Earthbending was so strong that he was able to lift and levitate entire stone structures, Earthbend using only his face and chin (Toph could also do this, but not to such a degree), and could even Earthbend without having physical contact with the earth―something that even she couldn't do.

Before anyone could stop her, Toph launched herself out onto the palace courtyard and followed Bumi, who jumped up onto the rooftops and chased after Zuko while raving and howling excitedly like a mad man.

Aang flew through the air above the palace grounds, surrounded by a spherical whirlwind, and giant rings of earth, water, and fire. Above him was a swirling vortex of pure darkness that was only visible because of the sunrise, and it seemed to only be growing.

Scores of people ran for their lives as he passed high over them, sending great gusts of wind throughout the city.

"Aang! If you can hear me, stop this madness!" yelled Zuko, flying towards him with his fire rocket technique. "I don't want to have to hurt you!"

Without even turning to face him, Aang fired off a hailstorm of earth bullets that nearly hit their mark as Zuko quickly implemented an evasive maneuver and was barely able to escape harm.

Steadying his flight, Zuko began breathing fire at Aang, a technique taught to him by his Uncle Iroh, which, in the past, had earned his uncle the famous and feared title of "Dragon of the West".

The fire was easily dispelled by the thick ring of water that surrounded Aang, which then lashed out at Zuko, who again, dodged by taking a drastic, aerial maneuver.

Aang, visibly emanating darkness from his eyes and tattoos, suddenly stopped directly over Caldera City, and began spreading more vortexes out over it, high up in the air. Finally, he began gathering more of the elements around himself, preparing a massive air-strike to rain down upon the city.

"Aang, no!" cried Katara from the palace. She was crying intensely as Sokka held onto her to make sure that she didn't run out after Aang.

Before he could amount his arsenal any further, Zuko immediately charged up a massive fire blast and unleashed it.

At the same time, Toph and Bumi collaborated by summoning an impossibly large column of earth from the ground and hurled it straight up, after which, Bumi jumped high into the air and spin-kicked the massive stone column directly at Aang.

The attacks were successful, and caused Aang to drop from the sky, unconscious.

Toph immediately softened up his landing by completely breaking up the earth into very loose sand, and then raised it up to break his fall before he reached terminal velocity. Carrying him, she immediately moved away from there as a massive amount of earth and water dropped from the sky, leaving it to smash through an entire structure and collapse it.

"Nice Sandbending, Toph! Oh yeah, and nice catch!" commended Bumi.

They arrived to find the others waiting at the courtyard, from which, Katara immediately ran over to them.

By this time, Aang was coming back into consciousness, and suddenly screamed himself awake, realizing what he had done. Though he didn't have any control, he had been fully aware of his actions.

"Aang! It's alright! You're okay!" sobbed Katara, holding him against her bosom as she cried over him.

"Is everyone safe?!" he asked, looking around.

Everyone nodded when suddenly, Zuko pushed his way passed them and stood over Aang.

"Avatar Aang . . . I hereby banish you from the Fire-Nation, as well as from the United Republic of Nations!"

"What?!" Katara, Toph, Sokka, Suki, and even Ty Lee shouted simultaneously.

"Even from Republic City?! The very city that both you _and_ Aang founded?!" shouted Toph, outraged. "I should kick your royal ass!"

Even Iroh was shocked and quickly ran around Zuko to face him.

"Zuko! What are you thinking banishing your friend, and the _Avatar,_ no less! This incident was not intentional and it would only serve to tarnish the Avatar's image! He is a symbol of hope and peace to the world!"

"Tell that to the thousands of people that ran screaming from their homes as their symbol of hope and peace prepared to rain death from above!"

"If he's banished, then I'm banished too!" yelled Toph. Katara, Sokka, and even Suki agreed and said the same.

"No, guys! You don't have to do that! He's right," said Aang, sitting on the ground with his head lowered, shocking everyone even more.

Katara immediately interjected: "But, Aang, it was an accident! You didn't mean to do this!"

"Nobody got hurt, Twinkle Toes!" yelled Toph, "We're all okay! Don't beat yourself up!"

"It doesn't matter! I could have killed all those people! I'm now a danger to the whole world!"

"But we can fix this!" cried Katara, holding Aang close.

"No . . . we can't," said Sokka, ominously, as he pointed out over the city.

Nobody was prepared for what they saw next.

The various vortexes that Aang had created began absorbing the sun-light and then turned into full-blown wormholes as both light and darkness swirled rapidly within them.

"What's going on?! What did you do?!" shouted Zuko.

"This can't be good," said Sokka, staring intensely into the large wormholes.

"It would be nice if one of you described what's going on! I can't sense stuff in the sky, in case you forgot?!" yelled Toph.

Aang was speechless. He couldn't believe what was happening.

"Pack up and leave, now!" yelled Zuko, taking Mai's hand as he walked back to the palace. Iroh stayed a moment longer in silence, and finally said, "I cannot express how sorry I am, Avatar. Please, I hope that one day, you find it in your heart to forgive my nephew."

A pair of tears slid down Aang's face as he answered: "I already have."

**(Continued in Act II)**


	2. Act 2: To Have Loved and Lost

**Act II: To Have Loved and Lost**

"Damn, sounds like you guys went through some pretty tough times," said Kevin, playing Super Street Fighter IV against Ed on the ship's massive Ultra-HD monitor. He was playing as Ken while Ed played as Blanka, and he was losing badly.

When they weren't working in the main bridge, almost everyone was usually in and out of the ship's training room and dining room during the day, as well as the recreational room during the evening, trying to relax as much as they could after their recent experiences.

"So Eddy made Lieutenant for risking his own life to save you guys? How brave, Eddy!" exclaimed Nazz, sitting close to Kevin, who cried out after being defeated by Ed.

"Thanks," said Eddy, smiling nervously. Nazz still had that effect on him.

"My thoughts exactly. Eddy is a true hero!" said Double D, proudly.

"It was the courageous act of a true friend and warrior," agreed Jack, observing the on-screen fight.

"The shrimp only did it because he needs you two to boss around," chimed Lee Kanker.

"You damn bit―Ah, forget it!" yelled Eddy, "You're not even worth insulting."

"Watch it, bud!" glared Marie Kanker.

"Or what? You're all gonna beat me up? I'm not the same helpless kid that I was before, Marie!" he then removed his shirt and took a fighting stance.

All three of the Kankers were stunned. They didn't expect such a response―especially Marie, who also didn't expect to suddenly feel her cheeks flushing from the sight of Eddy's newly chiseled features.

"Hey, Ed, where's Sarah?" asked Double D, looking around.

Eddy, with a huge Cheshire-grin on his face, asked: "Why are you looking for Sarah, Double D?"

"No reason!" he yelled, pulling his black ski-hat down over his face to hide his nervous blushing.

"She's with Jimmy and Dee Dee," said Ed. He then looked terrified, ". . . in our room! Oh no! Baron o' Beefdip, I'm coming to rescue you!" he then immediately ran out of the room, fearful for the safety and dignity of his fire-breathing monster toy.

"I'm playing against Ed when he gets back!" yelled Luffy.

Ever since first hearing the constant videogame conversations between Numbuhs 1, 2, 4, and 529, as well as Dexter, Ed, Eddy, and Kevin, interest in playing videogames got the better of the male Straw Hats (except for Jimbei, who preferred to meditate in his room, and Brook, who gave up gaming, ironically, when Numbuh 2 played some classic survival-horror games one night), and thus, for the last week, they had been playing various titles from Numbuh 2's collection.

"Actually, we're trading off with someone else whether we win or lose," said Sanji, "So you're playing against Numbuh 529, next."

When the controllers were passed, Numbuh 529 selected Ryu, while Luffy went straight to Dhalsim, and the battle soon commenced with a flurry of combos from both players.

"Double D, you said you wanted to know what it was that I did back at the trailer park, right?" said Numbuh 529, grinning.

"Yes! Could you explain it, please, if you don't mind? I'm really rather curious as to what it is exactly, and how it works," said Double D, intrigued.

"Watch the game," he said, maneuvering over Dhalsim, he then unleashed Ryu's Spinning Hurricane Kick, effectively knocking Luffy's character down, and then waited until his opponent was about to stand back up to carefully time a decisive _Hadouken _(Energy Fist), in which Ryu, taking a wide stance, put out both of his hands touching together at the wrists and launched a blue ball of destructive energy from his palms at Dhalsim, successfully winning the match.

"No fair!" protested Luffy.

"Yes fair! Just consider yourself fortunate that I didn't use Fei-Long!" laughed Numbuh 529. Due to their similarity in fighting styles, Fei-Long was naturally his favorite and best character to use.

Double D was confused, and said: "You mean to say that _that _blast of energy is originally from this videogame series?!"

"Yes and no," said Numbuh 529, "the world of Street Fighter is both a videogame in our worlds, as well as an actual universe, and one that my Grandpa visited and trained in during his youth. He was able to learn the Hadouken, or Energy Fist, from a wise and powerful old master named Gouken, who's actually in this game, too. Later, my grandpa passed that technique on to my step-dad, and then to me when I turned ten years old."

"Why is yours green, though?" asked Eddy, "The ones in the game are blue, except for that _Akuma_-guy's purple ones."

"I actually don't know. Maybe it's due to my Saiyan blood? It might also just be the natural color of my chi," he replied.

"_Chi_?" asked Double D, intrigued.

"Our life-force, or energy, if you will. My grandpa began training me to master it when I was barely four years old. It's what comprises the Hadouken."

"So, what's the plan now?" asked Kevin, cuddling with Nazz. Apparently, they had finally begun a true romantic relationship sometime while the Eds were away, which pained them to watch, except for Double D, who had his sights on another girl.

"Well, after we wrapped up our business on the Straw Hats' home-world, we caught wind of something new. There's actually a being out there called the Avatar, and he or she is crucial to controlling the outcome of this war," said Numbuh 529, passing the controller to Numbuh 4, "So we definitely have to get to the Avatar before the Fallen Hand does, but the leads on their whereabouts have been nothing but false alarms. We had just finished investigating a possible lead from one of Dexter's new inventions that detects large bursts of cosmic energy, when you called us in for the emergency evacuation. We're assuming that Dexter's rival, Mandark, who joined the Fallen Hand, has constructed a similar machine for them."

"The good thing about this is that, most likely, the Fallen Hand doesn't know the Avatar's whereabouts either," said Numbuh 1, "but any signal that we get will likely be picked up by them as well. So as soon as any large signals come in, we'll have to get to their source quickly and hope that we find the Avatar before the Fallen Hand does."

"So basically, the plan is to wait until we get another lead," said Numbuh 860, "but for now, we've arranged to take you all to the WND Moonbase in Numbuh 1's dimension. You'll be safe there," she then took Numbuh 1's hand as she led him away. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've gotta borrow him for a moment."

When they were out in the hall, she led him around one of the corners and immediately pinned him against the wall, kissing him repeatedly, which prompted him to pull her closer to return his affections, eventually moving on to her neck, which elicited some sultry moans from her, much to his delight.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what's gotten into you all of a sudden?" he asked, touching his forehead to hers as he stared into her dark-purple eyes.

"I've just been thinking about our life when this is all over," she replied, "What will we do? Where will we go, Nigel?"

Numbuh 1 had also mulled this over during his numerous restless nights, and wasn't quite sure of his answer. But one thing, he knew for sure: he was going to marry this girl. Finally thinking of something, he said: "I was thinking that maybe we could live in your world, though, first I'd like to introduce you to my parents. After all, it would be weird for them not to meet the girl that I'm marrying."

When his comment sunk in, an immensely happy look came over her, and she jumped and squealed delightedly on Numbuh 1. "Yes! Oh, Nigel, yes!"

Numbuh 1 nearly fainted. He had been pondering when to propose to her for the longest time, but now that the burden had been lifted from him, he felt so relieved, that he grew light-headed.

"When should we tell the others?!" she asked, excitedly.

"Not too soon. Let's wait until after we've ensured the Avatar's safety, and then announce it during the inevitable celebration. We'll hold the wedding three years from now, when we're both eighteen."

"Sounds perfect," she replied, kissing him once more.

They headed back inside when Numbuh 2476 walked over to them.

"So where did you two go?"

"I was being scolded in the hall," joked Numbuh 1.

"Yeah. Nigel was being bad, so I had to punish him," laughed Numbuh 860.

Numbuh 2476 simply raised a confused eyebrow and, dismissing the matter, went back to her couch, where she curled up and got back to her nap. She was suddenly startled by Numbuh 4's boasting.

"Oh yeah! Special finish! Eat _that,_ Numbuh 2!" boasted Numbuh 4, dancing around while "strumming" his controller like he would an electric guitar.

"Quiet, Wally, the kitty's trying to take a nap!" scolded Numbuh 3, comically whacking the top of his head with a folded-up magazine as the others laughed.

Just then, the sultry voice of Dexter's computer A.I. sounded from the intercom: "Dexter, critical cosmic energy levels detected. Repeat, critical cosmic energy levels detected. Signal pinpointed at Planet E-003 of Dimension A-23."

"Critical levels?!" shouted Dexter, alarmed, "Einstein's ghost! Just what is going on over there?!"

"Looks like we'll have to take you guys to the Moonbase later," said Numbuh 1.

"All hands to the bridge!" commanded Numbuh 529, "That's definitely gotta be the Avatar!"

* * *

(The Nexus Throne-Room)

"Warmaster, we've picked up a massive reading of cosmic energy from Planet E-003 within Dimension A-23. Apparently, several portals were opened at once!"

"Not even the Quantum Devourers can do such a feat. There's only one being with the capacity for such an ability," grinned Surt, "Captain, summon the Vanguards and prepare my personal ship, as well as a fleet of our Unisols, immediately."

"Right away, Sire!"

Surt stood up from his throne and began howling with horrible laughter.

_Live well while you can, Avatar. I'll be there, soon enough._

* * *

(Fire Nation Royal Palace Courtyard, Caldera City)

Aang, Toph, Katara, and Sokka loaded the last of their belongings on Appa, Aang's giant, six-legged, and white furred, flying sky-bison who also had light-brown fur running along his limbs, back, and head in the shape of arrows. On top of that, he was also one of Aang's best friends since his childhood, and as such, he and Aang were almost inseparable.

They climbed up and sat within his giant saddle as Aang straddled the top of his immense head in order to steer the reigns that were tied around his horns.

"Is everyone here? Where's Momo?" Aang asked as he looked around.

Momo was the little, long-eared, bat-winged, flying white lemur that they had found long before during their visit to the Southern Air Temple. He had since become a friend to the group.

"I think we're good," said Sokka, sarcastically giving a thumbs-up as Momo was clinging to his face.

"Alright then," looking at the palace once more, Aang sadly turned away and said: "yip-yip," which let Appa know to take off. "Careful with those swirling things, buddy," he said to Appa, who responded with a low, grumbling sound.

"Why didn't Suki come with us?" asked Katara.

"She said that she wants to stay and see if anything weird or dangerous happens with those spinning dark-light things. She'll keep us posted," said Sokka, with a saddened look on his face.

"So what are we gonna do about them?" asked Toph, sitting back in a relaxed position while nonchalantly picking her nose with her right, pinky-finger.

"What _can_ we do?" pondered Aang, "I don't know how to bend darkness when I'm not trying to kill everything, so I can't just close them. I wonder if Guru Pathik would know what to do."

By this time, they had already flown over the edge of the dormant, volcanic cauldron that the city was built on, and continued to fly east over the blackened wastelands that comprised the majority of the Fire Nation.

"Does anyone else hear that?" said Toph, sitting up quickly.

"What? I don't hear anything," said Sokka, looking around. When he turned around to look back, he let out a fearful shout and yelled: "Aliens!"

"Sokka, have you been drinking more of that cactus juice behind our backs?" said Katara as she turned around as well. Then she saw it.

A fleet of strange ships were looming over the city, and headed straight for the palace.

"What in the world are those?!" she yelled, "They're headed toward Zuko and the others!"

"What?" said Aang, looking back, "Oh no. Appa, we have to go back!"

"Seriously, can someone just give me some sort of description when stuff like this happens?!" yelled Toph, comically frustrated.

"The city's being invaded by non-Fire Nation air-ships―and they're coming in from those swirly thingies!" yelled Sokka.

"Oh, okay . . . What?!" she yelled, horrified.

"We'll get spotted if we fly in there! We have to land on the edge," said Sokka.

When they arrived at the immense cauldron's edge, they dismounted and ran into the city, bobbing and weaving between the crowds of frightened civilians. They immediately jumped into a building when they came across a platoon of Fire Nation soldiers battling a large group of Unisols, and proceeded on a different route.

Keeping out of sight from the small ships that littered the skies, they snuck around the palace grounds and entered through a secret passageway that Zuko had once shown them.

"Come on, we have to check the throne-room!" said Sokka.

"Sorry, Snoozles, but it's empty," said Toph, "the whole palace is empty! I kept saying that!"

"Then where are they?" asked Katara.

Toph took a moment to concentrate and yelled: "the courtyard!"

* * *

"What is the meaning of this?!" asked Zuko, furiously, as he was being restrained aggressively.

Moments ago, a group of strange beings approached his palace as he went out to the courtyard to investigate the invaders. When he furiously attacked, they easily subdued him.

"Lighten up, Sky Vanguard," said Surt, "We need our little canary alive to sing,"

"Who are you?!" he demanded.

"I am the one who holds your life in his hands! Now tell me, where is the Avatar?! I know that he is an Airbender, and that he was here!"

"I banished him!" said Zuko. "I don't know where he's gone to."

"He speaks the truth, my lord," said the Land Vanguard. He was a tall, Ilumari warrior who was wrapped and masked in green garb, over which he had golden chest armor and shoulder plates.

A torrent of blades soared through the air, but the Land Vanguard immediately raised a dense wall from the stone around them.

"Mai! Get out of here!" screamed Zuko, but not soon enough.

The Ocean Vanguard, who looked like the others, except with blue garb and an ancient-looking gourd on his back, unleashed a giant water-tentacle from it and, pulling her from behind cover, dangled her before them.

"What should I do with this one, my lord?" he asked.

"Restrain her. I'm assuming this is your Fire-Lady, am I correct, Fire-Lord?" he said, grinning evilly at Zuko.

"Yes."

"Then I believe that we can come to an agreement. You lift your banishment off of the Avatar, invite him back here to apologize, and we'll do the rest. Do this, and your wife lives."

"How did you know our titles? How did you know of the Avatar?!" said Zuko, stalling for time. Other than that, he truly was curious as to how this strange being knew this information.

"Because I've been to this world before, long ago. You see, my sons and I received some rather enlightening training here, under the previous Avatar. But the truth is that it was so long ago that the identification records for this and every other world were converted over to a new classification system since then, and thus, I've had to resort to drastic measures to find it again."

"So that is your reason for setting the Quantum-Devourers free, Surt?" asked a voice from behind them.

"Uncle?" asked Zuko, confused, "You know this foul creature?"

"Let's just say that the Order of the White lotus is more than it appears, Zuko," he said, smiling.

"So you're from that bothersome organization that petitioned for the system change in the first place, eh?" said Surt, "Because of you, I've had much trouble finding this planet. That's why I needed to let them out. Their constant eating of dimensional barriers leaves behind a corrupted form of cosmic energy, and I knew that it was only a matter of time before the Avatar would go insane from it and send out a beacon, leading me right to him!"

"Because of your reckless actions, my nephew banished the Avatar!" yelled Iroh.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I'll be sure to return their body to you so you can properly bury them, but only after I get what I want!"

"Get away from Zuko!" yelled Aang, jumping out from the same hole he had created on the side of the palace when he went berserk.

"No, Aang! Run! They're after _you_!" cried Iroh.

Shocked at what he'd heard, Aang quickly turned away and, using his staff which opened up into a glider, flew back into the palace.

"All Vanguards, go after him, now! All Unisol units surround the palace at once!" commanded Surt, coating himself with an aura of flames due to his intense anger at Iroh's intervention.

Dropping Zuko and Mai, the Vanguards quickly jumped into the palace to pursue Aang, when seemingly out of nowhere, another giant ship appeared and hovered over the palace. It then opened from the back as a small group of people rained down onto the palace from it.

"No! Damn it! The WND is here! Repeat, the WND is here! Kill them all!" yelled Surt, blazing even more.

"I see, so they're the result of your failed attempt to destroy the RND!" observed Iroh, "Just goes to show that when you try to kill a phoenix, another, even stronger one will simply rise from its ashes."

"Quiet, you senile bastard!" yelled Surt, who shot a stream of flames at him, but Iroh swiftly dodged it and stood at the ready.

"Zuko! Help the Avatar and the members of the WND! This fight is mine!"

"Come on, Zuko, he said to go!" yelled Mai.

"But, Uncle, there's no way that you can beat this monster alone!" he protested.

"Don't worry . . . I'm not alone," he replied, when suddenly, the other senior members of the Order of the White Lotus suddenly jumped down beside him. They included King Bumi, Master Pakku (Katara's Waterbending teacher), Master Jeong-Jeong (a powerful Firebender and former Fire-Nation Military General), and Master Piandao (Sokka's sword-fighting teacher).

Understanding and now much more confident in Iroh's survival, Zuko and Mai quickly headed into the palace as the battle commenced.

* * *

Numbuh 529, Dexter, the Straw Hats, Numbuhs 1 and 4, the Eds, Kevin, and Rolf made their way through the Fire Nation Royal Palace, taking out Unisols left and right.

"I can't believe those damn Fallen Hand idiots made it here before we did!" growled Numbuh 4.

"Me too, but I doubt they have a portable energy-tracker!" said Dexter, confidently.

"Dexter's right. We may still have a chance. Everyone stay close and follow him!" commanded Numbuh 529 as he and the others made their way down a large flight of stairs.

"The signal goes deep underground!" said Dexter, "There has to be a network of escape tunnels beneath the palace!"

"Got it!" yelled Luffy as he jumped over the stair railing and drove his fist into the floor, completely smashing it to bits and revealing an underground passageway of some sort.

"Everyone in!" said Numbuh 1, jumping in.

The others followed and continued along until they found more stairs that went much deeper into the dark, prompting Franky to activate his chest-lights.

"He's just ahead, through that wall!" said Dexter, "There's no time to lose!"

* * *

"The place is surrounded! We have to use the underground escape tunnels! Quickly!" yelled Toph, leading them down a dark flight of stairs. "Sokka, Suki, and Ty Lee should catch up any minute now. Also, Zuko and Mai just entered the palace!"

"Why would those guys be after me?!" Aang contemplated out loud, feeling worried and guilty, "Ugh! Why is someone constantly trying to capture me?!"

They ran out onto a large, open area that glowed red, due to the surrounding magma.

"Don't worry! We'll find some way to figure all of this out . . . right?!" said Katara.

"Sugar-Queen, just stick to the friendship speeches," said Toph, who suddenly gasped "Hold on! It feels like―"

Just then, a large section of the wall to their left burst into chunks as a group of unknown people came in.

"Man, good thing we had you, Dex," said Numbuh 529, patting Dexter on the back. He then called out: "Avatar, please, come with us! We need to keep you safe!"

"Who are you?" asked Aang.

"Nice try!" yelled Toph, taking a wide stance, and then stomped down, causing multiple large stones to pop out of the ground and levitate in front of her. She quickly punched and kicked them all directly at Numbuh 529, who skillfully knocked them all away at the last moment.

"Whoa! Watch it!" he shouted.

"We're allies!" yelled Numbuh 1.

"Are they telling the truth?" asked Katara.

"It seems like it. Then again, they're aliens, right? Their lying signals might work differently."

"True, except, they look pretty human to me," said Katara.

"Really? Maybe they're master-liars like Azula, then."

"That's possible, too. We better not risk it then."

Seemingly out of nowhere, Sokka, Suki and Ty Lee ran in and stopped immediately when they saw the group of strangers.

"Watch it, guys! Is that them?!" yelled Sokka.

"We don't know, but we're not risking it," replied Toph, "Hurry and take Aang out of here. I'll hold them back and catch up with you guys, later. I'll try to make it quick."

"Fine, but be careful," said Sokka, leading Aang, Katara, and Suki towards the other end of the volcanic chamber.

"Wait, please listen to us!" yelled Numbuh 529 as a wall of scorched earth came toward him and the others. "Damn it!" he yelled, punching it to pieces before it did any damage.

"Wow, you really did that without any Earthbending, eh, _Tough-Guy_?!" shouted Toph, "Bring it on, then!"

"Look, we just want to keep Aang safe. Please, you have to believe that we're the good guys!"

"Sorry, but like I said, we're not risking it."

Whispering to the others, he said: "Go on. I'll try to beat―I mean, talk―some sense into her."

"Very funny, Tough-Guy," she said, surprising them, "but it'll be me who kicks your ass senseless!"

The other members of the WND quickly ran in the direction that Aang and the others had gone through, prompting Toph to go all-out in trying to stop them. She tried everything from launching stone columns to shooting small, earth projectiles, and even tried completely sealing the tunnel, but it was all swiftly blocked or destroyed by Numbuh 529, allowing them to go through the other tunnel.

"You're blind, aren't you? Not to mention beautiful, now that I get a good look at you." he asked, observing her closely.

"Yeah! What of it, Tough-Guy?!" she shouted, unexpectedly blushing, "Don't want to fight me all of a sudden, or what?!"

"Oh, I'll fight. I know how dangerous a blind warrior can be. But hear this, because I'm only saying it once: I don't care if you're blind or beautiful, because if you continue to hold me up, then I'm kicking your ass all over this damn place."

_Who is this guy? _Toph thought, feeling her cheeks flushing even more. Not only was she surprised by his comments, but she actually appreciated them. For once, someone (besides Aang) had completely disregarded her blindness before even getting to know her at all―something that even the others hadn't fully done until a bit after they had met her.

"You do know that we're just wasting time, here, right?" he said.

"Nope!" she retorted, "There's just something about you that tells me you're the most dangerous fighter of that group, so the way I see it is that as long as I keep you here, Aang has a better chance of escaping."

"Fine, then if you're ready," said Numbuh 529, cracking his neck and knuckles, "let's dance."

* * *

Aang and the others continued running down the tunnel, followed closely by the WND.

"Will these guys ever get tired?!" yelled Sokka.

"For the last time, we're not the enemy!" yelled Numbuh 1.

"You must believe us!" yelled Jack, "Your friend is in great danger! We can keep him safe!"

Aang quickly raised another earth wall, but Luffy used his Gum-Gum Pistol attack to smash through it, sending debris everywhere.

"What are they?!" said Aang, seeing Luffy retract his outstretched arm.

Suddenly, Zuko and Mai appeared from one of the side-tunnels.

"Run!" yelled Sokka.

Without looking back and thus, not noticing that they were running from the WND, Zuko and Mai began running alongside them when the tunnel was suddenly filled with an intense wind that knocked everyone over, including the members of the WND. This was immediately followed by an earthquake that caused waves of earth that rolled over them, restraining everybody to the ground.

"Ah, there you are, Avatar," said a distorted voice. They turned to see all three of Surt's Vanguards approaching.

"Straw Hat dudes―hell, even Usopp or Brook―any minute now, please!" yelled Kevin, struggling to get out.

"Hey! What was _that_ supposed to mean?!" yelled Usopp.

"I can't!" yelled Brook, struggling to get loose, "I'm all bone!"

With only minimal effort, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Franky broke out of their bonds, after which, Zoro speedily freed the others by slicing their stone restraints to bits.

"Impressive," said the Sky Vanguard, "but futile, nonetheless. The Avatar is coming with us."

"You idiots! You were running from the good guys!" yelled Zuko to the others.

"Hey, you were running from them too!" argued Sokka.

"I only ran because you told me to!"

"These guys are chumps!" yelled Numbuh 4, "Jack easily kicked that Sky-guy's ass back in Dexter's lab! They don't stand a chance against you three!"

Luffy immediately launched his pistol attack, but it was easily dodged by the Sky Vanguard, who countered with flurry of condensed air bullets that sent him tumbling down the tunnel.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Numbuh 4. Our great ruler, Warmaster Surt has seen it fit to increase our abilities exponentially since we last encountered your little group of filthy rebels."

Zoro and Sanji jumped towards them, but were stopped in their tracks by an unseen force. They suddenly lost control of their own bodies and began wriggling around.

"What the hell is going on?!" yelled Zoro.

"I can't move!" strained Sanji.

"Oh no," said Katara, "All that wind, the waves of earth, and now _this! _Those aliens must be benders! And the one in the blue must be not only a Waterbender, but also a Bloodbender!"

"Correct," replied the Ocean Vanguard, "My brothers and I are benders who learned from Avatar Roku, along with our father."

"Your father?! Could it be? . . . Warmaster Surt?! He's your father?!" exclaimed Numbuh 1, surprised, "And your abilities were taught to you by a previous Avatar?! Why did you have to search for this world if you had already been here, then?"

"The current identification system for planets and dimensions hasn't exactly been around forever, you know. With the transition came the deletion of the old files, and thus, this world's location was lost to us," said the Land Vanguard, who stomped the ground when he had finished talking.

The earth that held Aang suddenly began shifting around him, taking him toward the Vanguards.

"Aang! Please, no!" cried Katara, trying desperately to wriggle free.

"You've both done well," said the Sky Vanguard, "Our great Warmaster will be most pleased."

But before Aang reached them, the earth around him stopped shifting, and he suddenly busted free from his bonds. He floated in the air as a spherical whirlwind surrounded him, and he emitted darkness once again.

"Aang!" whimpered Katara, as tears flowed from her eyes.

"He's gonna kill us all!" yelled Sokka, "We're sitting ducks in this cave!"

Aang, now in his uncontrollable Dark Avatar-State, turned his attention to the nearest people―the Vanguards―and immediately attacked.

* * *

"He's too strong! We have to come up with another strategy!" yelled Master Pakku, barely canceling out two massive streams of fire with giant water tendrils.

"He's right! It's like fighting a comet-enhanced Firebender―who _ate _the comet!" joked Bumi, launching entire boulders at their opponent.

Warmaster Surt spun around, ten feet in the air, encased in a tornado of flames that shot everywhere. He then stopped and sent out a massive sphere of fire that expanded in every direction.

Bumi immediately raised a giant earth wall in front of his companions, and quickly burrowed underground until he came up under Surt. Punching upward, he summoned a pair of columns that shot straight up at their foe, but before they had even reached him, they were melted down into lava from the extremely intense heat surrounding him.

Eventually, the blazing ball of death ceased, and Surt landed back on the ground to prepare another attack.

Taking advantage of this, Master Piandao ran across from behind and slashed Surt multiple times across the back with his Jian (Chinese Tai Chi Sword)

"Agh! You'll pay for that, you damn insect!" growled Surt, incessantly casting flames at him, but Piandao quickly rolled behind cover, and immediately jumped behind something else when his first barrier began to melt.

While Surt was distracted, Iroh and Jeong-Jeong began generating immense levels of lightning, and shot them directly at him, knocking him forward onto the ground, but were horrified when he stood back up.

"Impossible!" they shouted.

"You call that Lightningbending?" he chided.

"Lightningbending?! But lightning cannot be bent!" yelled Jeong-Jeong.

"Maybe not by you weak humans! But for an Ilumari Alpha-Elite like me, it comes naturally." He then held his hand out and generated a ball of lightning that spun in place, fully contained over his palm, "Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. These forms of bending hail from the element of light. But darkness has its elements as well: Blood, Metal, Lightning, and _Void_. Together, my sons and I are the only true masters of these―the _Darkest Elements_! Now, witness the power of a true Lightningbender!"

Merely stretching his fingers out, the ball of lightning split up and ran along his fingers from where it shot out as five bolts at once to his opponents.

Iroh and Jeong-Jeong were able to redirect them, but unfortunately, the others were all struck and flew backwards onto the ground, convulsing.

"Bumi! Pakku! Piandao! No!" screamed Iroh.

"Impressive! You redirected my lightning! Even I don't know that one!" exclaimed Surt as he howled with laughter.

"They're dead!" yelled Jeong-Jeong, falling to his knees.

"They're free!" laughed Surt, "Free from serving me when I become the supreme ruler of the multiverse. Would you like freedom, as well?"

Suddenly, a large, stone spike shot from the ground, piercing Surt through the gut, effectively interrupting his laughter.

"Bumi, are you alright?!" yelled Iroh, running to his side.

"I simply waited for the right time . . . and struck! Hahahahaha!" With that and an insane smile, he was gone.

"Bumi!" cried Iroh, flowing with tears.

"Iroh, we must go!" said Jeong-Jeong, "Surt cannot fight, but as Firebenders, there is nothing that we can do! He's impervious to our firebending! We must go and help the Avatar!"

Hesitant, yet understanding, Iroh quickly stood up and followed him into the palace, leaving Surt screaming and writhing in pain.

* * *

Toph stood ready as Numbuh 529 took a fighting stance.

"Interesting stance," she said, "you're obviously no bender."

"You're able to tell that just from sensing my stance? That's pretty awesome," he replied, genuinely surprised, "Well then, ladies first."

"Why don't _you_ start us off, Tough-Guy?" she said.

"I see. You're just like me then!" laughed Numbuh 529, delighted. "I also wait until my opponent makes a move before making my own. That's actually the main technique of my fighting philosophy."

Once again, Toph was truly surprised, and suddenly, the strange feeling she had, grew.

_What is this weird feeling?! Damn it, I need to kick this guy's ass already!_

Numbuh 529 dashed to her and spun around to unleash a back round-house kick, but Toph sensed it in time and jumped back a few feet.

Pivoting on one foot, she kicked the ground with the other and sent a large crack across the surface to where he stood, but when he jumped out of the way, she immediately summoned a small boulder and spin-kicked it toward where he landed.

With a well-timed axe-kick, he stomped the boulder back into the ground, leaving a small crater in its wake, and dashed around the blackened battleground in an attempt to disorient her senses.

"I know what you're playing at! Your normal fighting strategies won't work here! You need to be a powerful bender if you want to beat me!" she yelled, stabbing the ground with her fingertips. This technique allowed her to turn the ground into sand wherever he stepped, impeding his movements.

But he countered this by sticking to a certain rhythm, and then, he increased the speed of his movements, switching up his pace and direction from time to time. Eventually, he was able to get right beside her and let loose a back-piston kick into her gut that sent her rolling backward.

As he dashed after her, she quickly stood up and, unable to effectively Earthbend at such extreme close-quarters, let loose a barrage of quick strikes at him, but he blocked everything precisely and with perfect timing.

"Southern Praying Mantis? That's pretty cool! But now, let me to show you _my_ way of fighting!"

Toph soon regretted stubbornly taking him on up close instead of backing away when she could safely do so. Now, every time she attacked, he not only blocked her, but he countered at the exact same time and struck her simultaneously with every block. When she tried resorting to a different move set, he instantly adjusted and only did the same. No matter how she attacked, he seemed to both be able to block and find some sort of opening at the right moment, and sometimes, fired off multiple strikes in between. His strikes were so fast, accurate, and unpredictable―it was a nightmare! It was like trying to fight multiple Ty Lees at once! He had no set pattern and no set form! He was in total control of the rhythm of the fight and always struck at the right time!

In much pain and growing frustrated, Toph finally risked it and stopped attacking to jump back a considerable distance, thrusting both hands down toward the ground when she landed and caused it to shake as she strained to summon a very large boulder from the ground behind her.

_This isn't good! She could end up sinking us into the magma! I have to do something, quickly, _Numbuh 529 thought, also growing frustrated.

Somewhat sensing his intent through his rising heart-rate, she stomped down, raising a cascade of earth columns around Numbuh 529, but barely missed as he broke through them and appeared directly in front of her, stopping just two feet away as he placed his left hand out with his fingertips just barely making contact with her chest.

"Hey, perv, what do you think you're doing?!" she yelled, about to summon another earth column with a stomp.

"Intercepting Fist, Secret Technique_: Three-Inch Punch_!" with this, he delivered a powerful strike that instantly sent her flying across the chamber from only three inches away, where she hit the wall, dazed.

"Oh crap!" he yelled, realizing his mistake. Instantly dashing to her, he grabbed Toph before she fell into the magma and, by kicking off of the wall, landed back on the blackened stone.

"Are you okay?" he asked, still holding her.

"What are you doing?! Let me go!" she shouted, angrily.

"I'm so damn sorry!" he said, shamefully, as he put her back on her feet. Though he had held back immensely, he still didn't mean to hit her that hard.

"I thought you wanted to kick my ass!" she shouted, confused.

"_You_ wanted to kick _my_ ass! I just wanted to go and help the Avatar! Why do you think I saved you?! I'm not one of the bad guys!" he shouted, clearly frustrated, "Ugh! You're so stubborn!"

Still not believing him, she was about to strike when Iroh's voice called out.

"Toph! What are you doing? He's an ally!"

"What?! Seriously?!" she yelled, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "Oh . . . crap . . . well, you can go ahead and let me drop in the magma, now."

Numbuh 529, sighing with relief, just laughed and said, "Don't worry about it! If it makes you feel any better, that was actually pretty fun! We'll have to do it again, sometime. I'm Alejandro, by the way―just Alejandro. Last names aren't really a thing on my world. And you are?"

"Toph Beifong," she replied. _There's that weird-ass feeling again._ She thought, feeling her cheeks grow hot again.

"Cool name. Oh, and sorry about nearly killing you. I shouldn't have used such a high level technique! You can go ahead and give me a good hit for that." He then closed his eyes and bowed his head, anticipating some sort of vengeful wrath.

Surprised, she just answered with: "Well, at least you were fast enough to save me. Don't worry about it."

"Where is Aang?" asked Jeong-Jeong.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Toph replied: "He and the others ran down that tunnel. But it feels strange―something is distorting my sense of what's happening down there. It's almost as if―"

"―there were another powerful Earthbender down there," said Iroh. "Quickly, we must get to him!"

* * *

Surrounded by earth, air, and fire, as well as a vortex of darkness above him, Aang sent forth a torrent of flaming earth-spikes at the Vanguards, causing them to disperse as they evaded the hail of deadly projectiles.

"What do we do? His bending is now just as powerful as ours!" yelled the Ocean Vanguard.

"We will not fight him while he is in the Avatar-State!" commanded the Sky Vanguard, "If we kill him now, our plans will be forever ruined!"

"Then we must retreat!" said the Land Vanguard, opening up a tunnel above them. "Go, now, my brothers! We shall strike at a more convenient time!"

Immediately, they jumped through the opening and were out of sight as the Land Vanguard closed it behind them.

"Well that gets rid of them, but what about Aang?!" yelled Sokka. He suddenly froze as Aang turned his attention to him. _Why did I have to open my big mouth?!_

Aang let loose a barrage of earth bullets in his direction, but Jack quickly got in the way and deflected every one of them before they could hit.

"Whew, thank you!" yelled Sokka, sighing with relief. "I never knew someone could move a sword that fast!"

"How do we calm him down?!" asked Jack.

"We don't know! This is only the second time that this happened! Last time, he had to be knocked out!"

Losing interest, Aang suddenly unleashed a powerful gust of wind that filled the tunnel, blowing everyone against the walls, and then, opening another tunnel in the ceiling, he flew up and went after the Vanguards.

"Damn, that hurt!" yelled Sokka, falling to the ground.

"We can't let him out of our sight!" cried Katara, "Those masked strangers could be waiting to ambush him!"

"This tunnel over here should lead us up beside the throne-room! Follow me!" said Zuko.

They immediately followed into one of the side-tunnels, and came up into the palace.

"What happened here?!" screamed Zuko, horrified.

They climbed out and stood in awe and horror as the majority of the throne-room blazed with fire. Though it usually did have a large fire going at all times in front of the throne, this time, the fire blazed nearly everywhere, burning the ancient architecture that comprised the majority of the throne-room.

Aang suddenly appeared behind them and sent them all tumbling with another powerful gust of wind.

"No! I'm too funny to die!" screamed Sokka, getting into the fetal position.

Hearing Sokka's voice once again caused Aang to turn his attention on him.

_It's just like the nightmare! _Katara fearfully thought as Aang approached Sokka―but she was too frozen with fear to cry out.

Just as Aang prepared to kill Sokka with a stream of flames, a ball of green energy flew out from nowhere and exploded upon impact, sending Aang flying across the room, where he hit the wall and fell limply onto the ground.

"Sorry, we got here as fast as we could! Don't worry, I just knocked him out. I didn't use it at full power," said Numbuh 529 as he, Toph, Iroh, and Jeong-Jeong entered the room.

"Numbuh 529!" cheered the members of the WND.

"Toph, you're okay!" cried everyone else.

"Of course I am! So was there another Earthbender down in that tunnel with you guys?"

"Yeah, as well as a Waterbender and even another Airbender! They were really scary and strong!" said Ty Lee. "But when Aang lost control again, they ran away!"

"Uncle! You're safe!" said Zuko, embracing him.

"Why is the throne-room on more fire than usual?!" asked Iroh.

"Such beauty!" cried Sanji as he knelt before Toph, "I'm sorry that I didn't notice before in that dark tunnel, miss, but you've got to be one of the sexiest girls that I've ever seen! Where have you been all my life?"

Toph grinned devilishly as she answered: "Thankfully . . . on another planet."

Sanji's face became frozen with an expression of comical sadness as he fell face-first on the ground, devastated by her answer.

"Someone get Aang. We have to leave before those Vanguards get back," said Numbuh 529, standing by the double doors with his blades out, "I've just let our pilot know to bring the ship down on the courtyard. We can keep him safe aboard."

Finally trusting in the strangers, Katara (along with the others) approved and followed the members of the WND, with Sokka carrying an unconscious Aang on his back. When they made it out to the courtyard, they saw the immense WND ship and gasped in awe.

"Now _that's _an airship!" exclaimed Sokka, as two figures ran down the back ramp. They were Numbuhs 860 and 2476.

"Numbuh 1!" yelled Numbuh 860, cheerfully running toward him. "I'm so happy you're safe!"

"Now!" shouted a distorted voice.

Before they could do anything, the Land Vanguard dropped from high in the air, where he was being suspended by the Sky Vanguard, and unleashed a wave of stone spikes, splitting everyone up as they rolled and jumped out of harm's way.

Aang, along with Sokka, was suddenly enveloped in a large water-tentacle and pulled away from the group.

"No!" screamed Katara, lashing out with a water-blade. But before it could cut the tentacle, a wall of very dense earth was raised from the ground, blocking it.

Toph immediately brought the wall down and, sensing where the Vanguards were, raised a stone column, and repeatedly struck it in their direction, sending a cascade of thin, razor-sharp, stone discs at them. But before they could hit their marks, they were knocked away by a strong gust of wind from the Sky Vanguard.

Taking them by surprise, both Numbuh 529 and Zoro attacked their masked foes from the sides and were able to break the Ocean Vanguard's concentration, and with it, his control over the water, instantly setting Aang and Sokka free.

Numbuh 1 quickly ran and caught Aang while Jack caught Sokka.

Then, in a moment of desperation, the Sky Vanguard used a powerful suction vortex to pull Numbuh 860 to him, and drawing his bejeweled Ilumari Greatsword, held it over her neck.

"Nigel, help!" she cried.

"Let her go, now!" demanded Numbuh 1, furiously.

"Coward! Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!" shouted Numbuh 529, preparing to attack.

"I suggest you stay where you are if you want this girl to live!" laughed the Sky Vanguard, happy that he had resumed control of the situation.

"Excellent, my Son," said a demonic voice.

"No . . ." said Numbuh 529, fearfully, "It's actually him."

Warmaster Surt had arrived and stood beside the Sky Vanguard, still bleeding from his abdomen. "Hand over the Avatar, Numbuh 1, and you shall have the girl returned to you, unharmed."

"Don't do it, Nigel! If he gets the Avatar, everyone dies anyway and all our efforts would be for nothing!" cried Numbuh 860.

"Keilana, hold on, we'll save you!" he shouted, desperately trying to think of an idea.

"Don't worry about me, Nigel. I'd rather die than see them win and kill us all. Please, you have to protect the Avatar!"

Numbuh 1 was torn and conflicted as tears burst forth from his eyes. He knew what would happen if he made the exchange, but he wanted so badly not to lose her. "Keilana, I can't decide! I know what I need to do, but I don't want to do it! I can't lose you! I don't want to lose you! We were going to get married, remember?! Please, I need you! I love you!"

Tears began streaming from Numbuh 860's eyes as she smiled sadly at him, and said: "I love you too, Nigel. I always will. Keep him safe for everyone, and win this war for me!"

Reluctant, yet understanding, Numbuh 1 finally made his choice and ran back into the center of the group with Aang.

"They've made their choice. Kill them all and bring me the Avatar alive!" snarled Surt.

The Sky Vanguard then drew his blade back, and drove it through Numbuh 860's chest, dropping her body on the ground as he sheathed it again.

"Keilana! You sons of bitches, what have you done?!" cried Numbuh 1, dropping to his knees in sheer agony and grief.

"Keilana, no!" cried Numbuh 2476, also feeling her strength leave as the shock got to her.

"You bastards, I'll kill you all!" screamed Numbuh 529, feeling a wave of inhuman fury overtake him. He had never felt such an urge to fight, and began screaming at the top of his lungs as he felt his body swell with a sudden influx of immense power that he'd never felt before―even when transforming into a Great Ape! It was as if his Saiyan-blood was suddenly unleashing its true potential, and finally exploded in a huge surge of energy that shook the entire volcano.

"Guys, what's going on?!" shouted Toph, as everyone struggled to maintain their footing.

"That guy that you fought is suddenly glowing yellow!" shouted Sokka, "and his hair just changed too! He's gonna make this whole place erupt!"

When the surge was over, Numbuh 529 was surrounded by a large, blazing aura of orange energy, and his short, dark-brown hair that was usually slicked back was now completely spiked up and neon-green in color.

"No . . . this can't be! You were a Saiyan this whole time?!" yelled Surt, fearfully. "My sons, we must retreat! All Unisols, fall back!"

The Sky Vanguard quickly complied and after pressing a button on his wrist-device, a purple and yellow temporal-portal began to grow behind them. When it was finally finished opening, Surt immediately went through.

"You monsters aren't going anywhere!" shouted Numbuh 529, instantly appearing in front of the Ocean Vanguard and unleashing a three-inch punch that pierced straight through him, causing him to cry out in pain.

The Land Vanguard summoned a giant boulder and sent it at him, but Numbuh 529 took it head-on, literally, and smashed it to dust with his face at the last second, creating a large dust-cloud.

Sensing where both the Land and Sky Vanguards stood, he dashed over to them and unleashed a very powerful kick that knocked the Land Vanguard clear across the courtyard, where he landed completely unconscious upon impact. Spinning around, he finally unleashed a back-hand strike on the Sky Vanguard, shredding his mask to bits through its sheer power.

Immediately raising his arm to cover his face, the Sky Vanguard turned about and used wind vortexes to pull his fallen brothers toward him, and ran through the portal, instantly closing it.

But Numbuh 529 had managed to see his face, and felt an extreme sense of betrayal.

It was Numbuh 1-Trillion, former leader of the RND, and mentor to both him and Numbuh 1, who was thought to have been assassinated by the Fallen Hand during the fall of the RND.

Almost immediately, multiple ships began to rise into the air and went through the vortexes that littered the sky.

Powering down to normal, Numbuh 529 stood in place, simmering in his feelings of sadness, confusion, and betrayal. It began raining when, finally unable to take it anymore, he collapsed on all fours, crying and screaming in rage, just as Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 2476 were.

Everyone else held a look of sadness as they continued to mourn, unable to bring themselves to say anything, until finally, Double D mustered up the will to do so.

"Commander Numbuh 529, sir, we shou―"

"―Stop! Don't call me that. I don't deserve my rank or even my number anymore. I couldn't even protect one of my own. Just call me Alejandro from now on."

Double D hesitantly continued, "Very well, Alejandro, sir, but we should leave. There's no telling who they may send in after us."

Alejandro stayed silent―unwilling to move on, unwilling to continue. He moped on the ground for a while longer until a hand was held out in front of him.

"Thank you for saving Aang―for saving all of us! That was incredible!" said Toph, smiling sweetly, "Now get up, Tough-Guy."

Alejandro wiped his tears away and finally took her hand as he stood up.

"Thank you."

**(Continued in Act III)**


	3. Act 3: The Darkest Elements

**Act III: The Darkest Elements**

(_The Cauldron_, Fallen Hand Laboratory and Manufacturing Facility)

"Revitalization procedure successful. Initializing drain sequence," sounded the voice of Mandark's computer.

"At long last!" exclaimed Mandark, laughing in his usual manner as the liquid-filled tubes around him began draining.

Within the tubes were the newly manufactured Next-Generation Unisols, which began moving restlessly as their cybernetic enhancements came online.

"Computer, begin the cleansing, fitting, and arming protocols! I need all my NGUs ready for action ASAP!"

"As you command."

"Mandark!" sounded Surt's voice.

He quickly turned around, startled. "Oh, uh, Warmaster, how did it go?!" he bumbled, nervously, as he bowed toward Surt and his approaching Vanguards.

"A significant problem has made itself present. It seems we've severely underestimated our enemies and paid the price for such a novice mistake. Prepare the Healing Chambers!"

"Indeed, my great and powerful Warmaster―at once!" said Mandark, reopening the tubes.

After they stepped in and put on their breathing masks, the tubes closed and began filling with a glowing, blue, gel-like liquid that sped up the healing process.

"Take as long as you need, Warmaster. Oh, and about the project: our army of NGUs is finally complete! Those special, high-grade materials that you procured for me were exactly what they needed."

"Excellent," echoed Surt's voice through the speaker on the outside of his healing chamber, "Promptly station them in Dimension PR-87, Planet S-666."

"The _Orkando Wasteland Prison Facility _on Planet Muerte, Warmaster?"

"Indeed. We managed to get away not completely empty-handed, and I suspect that the WND will soon be going to rescue their friends. It is there that my men will defeat and capture the Avatar."

"But, Warmaster, how do you know that the Avatar will go as well?"

"Trust me, I know these pure-hearted hero-types. I have the utmost confidence that he'll feel some degree of responsibility for their capture, and will seek the only immediate form of redemption. He will be there."

"Brilliant reasoning, my lord. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll leave you to heal in peace. As soon as all protocols have been run, I'll have the NGUs transported immediately!" With that, Mandark quickly boarded and sped away on his personal hovercraft. After a long flight across the massive, industrial-looking laboratory, he finally made it to his destination. Opening a hidden door that led into a large chamber that contained its own reactor, he entered an input sequence on a panel that raised a coffin-sized container, which held the little black cube on the top.

"Mr. Astronomonov, how is the project coming along?" echoed the same voice from before as the cube began showing the strange display of green computer code falling slowly along its faces.

"Eighty-nine percent complete. Surt believes that those special materials that he procured for me were used on the NGUs! What a fool!"

"Only eighty-nine? Then why have you come to disturb me?"

"Sometime within the next couple of days, it is very likely that the Avatar will be headed to the Orkando Wasteland Prison Facility."

"Ah, I see. Then that will be our chance to capture and use him to bend the Fallen Hand to our will."

"Indeed," agreed Mandark, grinning evilly, "It's about time that I finally took some control in this war!"

* * *

(Dimensional Ship Esperanza)

"I still can't believe it," said Aang, sadly, "Bumi's actually gone."

"And Master Piandao," murmured Sokka, sadly, sharpening his Water Tribe machete, "So how did Katara take the news about Master Pakku?"

"Not good. She cried in her room for hours after she heard. I just hope that your grandmother doesn't take it too badly."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," replied Sokka, sheathing the machete. Turning toward Zuko, he asked: "So why did Iroh and Jeong-Jeong stay, while you came?"

"Someone needs to run the Fire Nation while I'm gone, right?" answered Zuko. "Besides, I want to personally help make sure that those mad men pay for what they did."

"That can't be all Iroh's doing, right?" wondered Aang, "Maybe I heard wrong, but didn't they say something about raising an army?"

"Yes. Alejandro told my Uncle to prepare for war just before we left. He said that the men who attacked the city had a grand army of their own, and that they were planning a major take-over across every world in existence. Something really bad is coming―I just know it."

Both Aang and Sokka felt uneasy as Aang's words from before were repeated back to them.

_Something really bad is coming._

They were all startled as their room door slid open.

"Um, hello. I hope I'm not disturbing you, gentlemen, but I just wanted to let you know that we're holding a meeting down at the main bridge in order to discuss our next course of action. I took the liberty of letting your companions know, as well." said Double D, peering in from the door-way.

"Sounds good, just give us a second," said Zuko.

"Of course," said Double D as he backed out into the hall.

"Aang, I . . . I never apologized for . . . for what I said to you, back in Caldera City," said Zuko.

"It's fine, Zuko. You were right. You still are. As long as my Avatar-State is corrupted, I'll never again be the symbol of peace and hope that I once was. That's why I'm gonna do my best to find out what happened to me, and hopefully fix it."

It had been two whole days since Aang, Toph, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, Ty Lee, and Mai had reluctantly departed from their home-world, and they were still getting used to their strange new surroundings, which were so alien to them.

Once properly dressed, they followed Double D into the elevator, and after ascending, walked into the main command bridge where Numbuh 1 stood up near the Captain's chair, overlooking everyone as he prepared to relay the plan.

Three major things had recently transpired. First and foremost, Dee Dee, Nazz, Jimmy, and Marie Kanker had all been kidnapped by Unisols during the events on Aang's home-world. Second, while trying to fight off the kidnappers, Numbuhs 2 and 3 had been inflicted with near-fatal injuries, while Sarah, Johnny, Lee Kanker, and May Kanker were barely able to escape. Finally, Lieutenant Sa'rai of the Barrier Defense Force had reluctantly provided the whereabouts of the Fallen Hand's prison facility, which was the subject of the meeting.

"My fellow Warriors Next Dimension, it should go without saying that this rescue operation will be extremely dangerous for some of you. With that said, I'd rather you stay in a safe place, than come with us and needlessly die. It is our mission to prevent more innocents from dying," Numbuh 1 momentarily stopped, choking up as he thought about Numbuh 860, but finally continued: "and as such, in a few hours, we will be arriving to accomodate some of you at the WND Moonbase within my dimension―namely Sarah, Johnny, as well as Lee and May Kanker, plus anyone who wants to provide extra security at the Moonbase."

"But we want to help!" yelled both Lee and May Kanker, angrily.

"We won't allow it," said Alejandro, getting up to where Numbuh 1 was, "We've lost too many allies. I won't allow us to lose more. I'm sorry."

Before they could argue again, a temporal-portal opened within the room.

"We're kind of busy right now, Lieutenant Sa'rai, but you―oh crap, you!" shouted Alejandro, in terror, as a fist came flying at his face.

"Idiot!" yelled the stranger as she comically sent him flying straight across the room.

"Whoa! That girl can freakin' hit!" exclaimed Numbuh 4.

"Alejandro, friend or foe?" asked Numbuh 1, dropping into a fighting stance.

"Friend! Seriously, stand down, Numbuh 1, for your own safety," he responded, dazed.

"I don't know who she is," said Toph, laughing hysterically, "but I like her already!"

"So this is where you've been?!" said the girl, walking toward Alejandro as he still lay flat on the ground.

She was a young woman of eighteen years, with long, super-curly, reddish-brown hair that was held up in a high-ponytail by a dark-green bow with two equally curly strands hanging down the sides of her face, reaching her chest. She had light-brown skin, large, dark-green eyes, and an hourglass figure that was only accentuated by her outfit. It consisted of a long, purple, Chinese Qipao-like skirt that was open from the sides beginning at her hips, as well as a matching, purple, sleeveless top that was completely split down the middle and only held together by a rose-shaped, diamond crest over her chest. She also had knee-high, black-leather boots over thigh-high, fish-net stockings, black, fingerless gloves that had a pink, swirly-leaf design on them, fishnet-like elbow warmers, and tied around her arm, a dark-green headband that had a metal plate on it with the same swirly-leaf design, as well as a holster for Kunai throwing daggers that was wrapped around her right thigh.

"Mom and Dad were worried about you! It wouldn't hurt to visit more often, you know!" she yelled.

"_Mom_? _Dad_? Wait a minute . . ." said Numbuh 1, ". . . Alejandro, don't tell us that this is your―"

"―Sister?!" yelled the Eds, in surprise.

"Yeah, she is," said Alejandro, finally standing up, "It's good to see you, Crystal. I see you're mild-mannered as usual. About not visiting, sorry about that, but I've been really busy. I mean, there's only a powerful mad man on the loose trying to kill everything! Didn't Mom and Dad tell you about what happened to our planet while you were off training in _Ninja-World_ or whatever? And just what the hell are you wearing?!"

"Hmm? Who are all of these people?" she asked.

"Did you even hear anything of what I asked you?!" yelled Alejandro, growing frustrated.

"Don't know, don't care!" sang Crystal, inspecting her surroundings with newfound interest.

"Rrrrg! I swear, you still have the attention span of a freakin' gnat!" growled Alejandro, comically turning red with anger.

"It's times like this that I'm glad I'm an only child," said Double D.

"Look, Crystal, I'm on an important mission at the moment, so if you want to go back home, I'll visit when we're fini―"

"―Actually, I'm staying," she said, stone-faced.

"Uh, wha―?"

"―Yup, I'm staying. I figure I need a little break from home, so why not here?"

"Crystal, we're in the middle of a war!"

"So? I just fought in one against a giant, ten-tailed demon on the planet that I was training on, and I'm still alive! I'm not the same little girl from before, you know!"

"So how did you find me?" he asked, curious.

"I just asked the Lieutenant where you were and she didn't even hesitate in telling me. She thought that I could be of some use to you guys."

"Damn it, Sa'rai!" he muttered under his breath, and finally said: "Fine then, you can stay. I'm actually curious to hear about what you learned while you were away."

"Done deal. But first, I'm kind of bored. These RND ships usually have like a gaming room or something, right?" She then walked off before someone could answer her and left the main bridge.

"Alejandro, your sister's . . . something else," said Numbuh 1.

"Just wait until you see her get angry," sighed Alejandro, facepalming.

* * *

"So, Aang, I've noticed that you've been sleeping better," said Zuko, taking a bite from his meal. Everybody was in the dining area, enjoying one of Sanji's gourmet meals.

"Thankfully, yes. I'd hate to go berserk on this ship," joked Aang, trying to make light of the subject, "I guess just finally hearing that there's something I can do about it, has really put my mind at ease."

"Not for me!" said Sokka, "I'm living peacefully and happily, and all of a sudden, all that _darkness_-stuff happens, and I find out that there's some insanely powerful, deranged lunatic trying to collapse every plane of existence in order to rule over a _single, unified dimension__ of pure chaos_―and we all have to fight him?! Why is it always us in this crap?! For once, I'd like for someone else to take on these super-powered maniacs!" by this point he was hyper-ventilating when Suki hugged and kissed him on the cheek, effectively bringing him back to his senses.

"Don't worry," she said, "I just know that my big and strong Sokka will come up with a big plan when the time comes."

"Hmm, I _do_ like big plans. You know what? You're right! I'll kick their butts with some good ol' fashioned strategizing, cause that's what I do!"

"Um, where's Toph?" asked Katara.

"She and Ty Lee decided to head into the training room," said Mai in her usual monotone, "I wouldn't mind heading in there myself. Should be less of a drag than this."

"Oh yeah! The training room! We should go too!" exclaimed Sokka, excitedly "These guys have such a cool sword collection in there! Seriously, there are some weird ones that I've never even seen before, and there's even a black-bladed Jian that looks like my old Space-Sword!" his face suddenly bore a saddened look as he said that.

The _Space-Sword_, as Sokka called it, was a Chinese Jian sword that he had forged out of black metal from a meteorite during his training with Master Piandao. Unfortunately, he had lost it toward the end of the Hundred Year War during a battle on a Fire Nation Airship. He strongly wished for his sword to at least have as a keepsake and reminder of his old master.

Aang noticed and tried to cheer him up. "Yeah, that actually sounds pretty fun! Let's hurry up and eat so we can head over there. If we're gonna be any help to this cause, we need to keep our skills sharp!"

* * *

Alejandro pushed and strained with all his might as the tremendous weight on his back began to feel like too much. "five . . . thousand! Okay . . . take . . . it . . . off!"

Zoro immediately ran over and lifted the upside-down Doom-Buggy from Alejandro's back.

"Damn! I'm really gonna feel that tomorrow morning!" exclaimed Alejandro as he slowly stood back up.

"Ha!" laughed Luffy, "I have you beat by a hundred more!"

"Forty-six isn't even close to a hundred, Luffy," pointed-out Sanji.

The doors to the training room suddenly opened as both Toph and Ty Lee entered.

"Good evening, ladies!" joked Toph, much to Zoro's annoyance.

"Hello, girls!" replied Sanji, with pink hearts over his eyes. "Did you come to do some vigorously tantalizing aerobics?! Or maybe some sexy, tempting acrobatics?!" he said this with a bloody-nose and rosy cheeks.

"Sparring, actually," answered Toph, somewhat annoyed.

"With some acrobatics thrown in the mix, too!" said Ty Lee, happily. She was completely oblivious to the lecherous overtones in Sanji's question.

"Weightlifting, eh?" said Toph, approaching them, "Well, _chumps_, check _this_ out!" she then made an upward motion with both arms and immediately, the Doom-Buggy lifted into the air where it was suspended and motionless.

"Damn!" exclaimed Alejandro, "You're able to do that Bending-stuff with metal, too?!"

"Yup," she answered, proudly, as she set it back down. "It's called Metalbending, and I pretty much invented it."

"Two thousand!" yelled Numbuh 1 from the background, doing push-ups while wearing a hundred-pound vest. He was sweating profusely, and struggled to breathe.

"Whoa, Numbuh 1, take it easy! You're gonna mess yourself up, man!" said Alejandro, concerned for both Numbuh 1's physical well-being, as well as his mental well-being.

"I need to get stronger! What you said about the Sky Vanguard . . . it just . . . Agh, damn it!" he punched the ground with enormous strength in frustration. "I can't believe that he did that to us, Alejandro! Numbuh 1-Trillion was living a lie the entire time! I'll track him down and I'll kill him, myself!"

"I feel almost exactly the same way, Numbuh 1, but promise me that you won't be obsessed with vengeance!" said Alejandro.

"He took Keilana! He took the love of my life away from me! We were going to get married! You have no idea how I feel!"

"Yes . . . I do," replied Alejandro, sadly.

Numbuh 1 suddenly remembered, and immediately felt horrible for what he had said.

"Alejandro . . . I'm so sorry. I forgot about her . . . about Haruko."

"It's fine, don't worry about it. All I wanted to say is if you ever fight him, fight him with justice in your heart―not vengeance. Don't repeat my mistake. I lost it and fought vengefully when I went Super-Saiyan back there. My Saiyan blood completely took me over. Meanwhile, you've been _pre-meditating _your vengeance this whole time! Fight him because you need to, not because you want to! Fight to protect those who remain, not to punish for those who were lost! Only then will you fight to your full potential! If I wasn't so blinded by rage, I wouldn't have prolonged their death with unnecessary suffering just to end up letting them get away in the end! I would've ended them as quickly and efficiently as I could!"

Numbuh 1, grateful for the wisdom, bowed and saluted to Alejandro in the traditional Chinese manner. "You're right; I need to meditate on this. Thank you . . . Sifu," He then proceeded out of the training room in order to meditate on Alejandro's words further.

"_Seafood_?" asked Luffy, "Where?!"

"_Sifu_, actually. It means teacher in Chinese. He hasn't called me that since his training when he joined my unit in the RND. It would seem that my piece of wisdom has humbled him and made him realize just how much he has left to learn."

"You're a good teacher," complimented Toph.

"I'm just looking out for him," replied Alejandro, "but thank you."

"So, I was wondering . . ." she said, "how about a rematch?"

"What?!" he replied, worriedly, "but if you bend anything on this ship, it could go horribly wrong for all of us! The whole thing is metal!"

"Calm your tits, Tough-Guy, I meant a hand-to-hand rematch. I found your _fighting philosophy _pretty interesting, and I'd really like to test myself against more of it."

"Oh, alright. I guess we could. Are you looking to get me back for that last punch I gave you?" he asked, feeling ashamed as the memory came back to him.

"You could say that," she said, grinning mischievously.

"Toph, you're scaring me," he replied, half-joking.

"Yeah, I seem to do that a lot to people," she laughed.

Everyone cleared out of the immediate area as both Alejandro and Toph took their positions.

Alejandro stared her down, looking for any sign of movement, but this strategy backfired much too quickly. He began to get lost in her features. Her face, her raven-black hair, her body . . . it was all just too entrancing, and so much so that he barely noticed it when she took some steps forward, effectively startling him when he snapped back to his senses.

"What's the matter, Tough-Guy? You losing your edge already, or what?" she asked, moving forward even more. "Come on, give me your best shot!"

"Alright then, you asked for it!" he then faked a straight lead at her, but effortlessly transitioned into a blazing-fast, spin kick that caught her off guard, though, she still barely managed to dodge it.

"Whoa there!" she said, surprised at such an unpredictable maneuver. She quickly dashed forward and shot multiple piercing strikes at him, but Alejandro was able to once again dominate in close-quarters by blocking and attacking at the same time, that is, until Toph pulled a surprising move of her own.

When she struck with one hand, it was quickly pushed down, when suddenly, she used her other hand to hold his blocking arm down, and pulled the first hand free to deliver a powerful punch that he barely managed to redirect, spinning her and pulling her close to him by her waist, almost as if they were salsa dancing.

"Did you just do what I think you did?!" he asked, genuinely amazed, "No one besides my grandpa and sister has ever intercepted one of my attacks, before!"

"What can I say? I learn pretty quick!" she grinned proudly. Realizing that their faces were so close, she felt her cheeks grow hot and broke out of his hold to put some distance between them.

This time, she attacked with much more ferocity and continued to intercept and attack, only not nearly as well as he did.

Growing a bit frustrated, she delivered a straight kick to his gut when suddenly, he countered with a jumping double-kick that redirected her leg with one foot while the other kicked her square in the chest.

She found herself falling backwards to the ground, head-first when an arm closed around her and pulled her back up. Alejandro then held her close like before.

"I guess I lost again," she murmured, feeling a blow to her pride.

"You know, Toph, I've gotta tell you . . . you're one of the most amazing girls that I've ever met! No one outside of my crazy family has ever given me that much trouble in a close-quarters sparring match! Please don't feel bad―you're a seriously badass fighter! You should be proud! But, if you like, I'd be more than happy to give you some private lessons."

"Just what sort of _private lessons _did you have in mind, Tough-Guy?" she asked, grinning devilishly while blushing at the same time. His words had made her feel much better.

"Wait, not like that!" he exclaimed, feeling his cheeks flare up as well.

"Just kidding, Tough-Guy, I knew what you meant. You know, I also want to tell you that you're one the most incredible guys that I've ever met. Most of the great fighters on my world are complete asses, and even though you're a non-bender, you're such an awesome and tough fighter, and yet, you're still so kind, respectful, and sweet," she said, smiling seductively.

In that moment, everything other than the other person was lost to the both of them.

Deciding to take a risk, Alejandro slowly moved his face closer to hers. The pinnacle of everything that he desired in a woman―in both physical and personality traits―was in his arms . . . and she was much too intoxicating! Even her distinct scent―which was like the wind before and after a rainstorm, combined with her natural scent―just drove him wild.

Toph felt his heart-rate skyrocket as she sensed what he was doing, and her heart began to race just as fast as she too was flooded with a sudden desire―no, a deep _yearning _to do the same.

Their lips met, but parted quickly, though for only a brief instant before coming together into a full-fledged kiss.

Out of nowhere, Sokka's voice loudly boomed throughout the room: "Whoo! Get you some!"

They quickly, though reluctantly, parted and regained awareness of the shocked and surprised faces around them, which now included Aang and the rest of Team Avatar, who had just walked in to the scene.

Toph, looking rather embarrassed, quickly slapped Alejandro and ran out of the room, shoving her shoulder against Sokka rather hard as she passed by, nearly knocking him over.

"Hey! What was that for?!" yelled Sokka, confused.

Alejandro just stood where he was, still in a sort of emotional daze over what had just happened.

"Alejandro, you are the man!" exclaimed Sokka, "Seriously . . . Toph?! Nice, man, nice!"

Both Katara and Suki smacked him behind the head simultaneously, causing him to cry out in pain: "Agh! What did I do?!"

"Do you _really_ have to ask?!" scolded Katara as she went up to Alejandro and, giving him a stern look, said: "Look here, _Mister,_ I don't know what the hell just happened, or what you were intending, but if I ever find out that you hurt her in some way, or tried to do something without her consent, then you're answering to me! Now go talk to her, apologize, just do whatever you gotta do to get this sorted out!"

Alejandro, not wanting to anger her any further, quickly answered: "Yes, Ma'am!" and quickly left after Toph, nervous as all hell. _What will she say?! What will she do?! _Alejandro thought frantically. _And _w_here the hell did she even go?!_

He looked in every area on the top deck of the ship before finally deciding to check the crew quarters.

Heading straight for her room, which she shared with Katara and Ty Lee, he knocked a few times before her voice sounded from the other side of the all-white, metal door.

"What do you want?"

"I just wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

The door suddenly slid open, startling him.

"Why? Are you regretting it?" her eyes suddenly took on an angry look.

"No! Not at all! I mean, you slapped me, so I just assumed that I'd crossed some sort of line!"

"I just didn't know how to react to my friends catching us like that! I guess I should be the one apologizing."

"Please, don't worry about it. So . . . you were really okay with it?"

When Toph stayed silent, Alejandro grew nervous and was unsure of what to do or say next, when she suddenly pulled him closer into a rather aggressively-passionate kiss.

"Does that answer your question, Tough-Guy?" she whispered in between breaths.

As they continued, he began to let his hands explore, which awarded him with some sultry moans from her.

"Wait!" she exclaimed as she suddenly pulled away.

"I'm so sorry! I couldn't help myself! Katara's gonna kill me!" said Alejandro, panicked.

"No, it wasn't that! I just . . . I need some time to think," she said, turning away from him.

"Take as much time as you need. I totally understand," said Alejandro, stepping back and out of the doorway.

As it slid closed, he sighed sadly when Crystal's voice sounded behind him: "So you've moved on from Haruko?"

"Holy crap! Don't do that!" he said, startled. Then, thinking on what she had said, he replied: "Were you there the whole time?"

"If you mean was I here long enough to see you introduce Mr. Lefty to her right butt-cheek, then I was here too long. But to tell you the truth, I don't really care if you've moved on or not. I just want to know if you genuinely have feelings for that girl―and not just physical feelings, if you know what I mean?"

"I do have genuine feelings for her, and to answer your first question, I did move on. Haruko's gone, Crystal, remember? As much as I loved her, what else was there to do _but_ move on?"

"I just don't want you to end up hurting her, or her hurting you, you hear?"

"I get it. Thank you, Crystal."

"No problem. I'm just looking out for my big brother." She then instantly vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving Alejandro to his own thoughts: _So long as I'm alive, I'd never hurt her. Ever._

Walking to his room to meditate, he started laughing to himself. _Damn, _he thought,_ I really need a freezing-cold shower first._

* * *

They soon arrived at the Moonbase and docked in the red, organic landing bay where Numbuhs 5, 86 and 362 were waiting for them.

"Welcome to the WND Moonbase, ya'll!" said Numbuh 5, in greeting as they all departed from the ship.

"Whoa! This place is so weird! Even the spirit world had nothing like this!" exclaimed Aang, amazed at the strange and surreal environment around him, as did the others.

"I'll admit, it's pretty cool in here, but . . . I thought this was supposed to be a tree! Are we in the stomach of some giant creature?!" wondered Sokka, looking around in a paranoid manner.

"I bet I'd find it amazing too if the ground were made of earth or metal!" said Toph, annoyed, "Hey, Ty Lee, give me your arm and lead the way."

"Sure thing," said Ty Lee, letting Toph wrap an arm around hers.

"Abby!" exclaimed Numbuh 2, immediately embracing and kissing Numbuh 5.

"I missed you, Hoagie-Baby," she said, holding him tightly, "What happened?! Why are you and Numbuh 3 all bandaged up?!"

"We kind of had a close encounter with the Fallen Hand―a little too close. But don't worry, we'll tell you all about it in a bit."

As per usual, Numbuh 86 had a look of mild disgust at the scene. _Pfft__―__Boys! Who needs them? _she thought, that is, until she saw Alejandro come out of the ship.

"It's good to be back, guys," said Numbuh 1, "Numbuh 5, Numbuh 86, Numbuh 362, I would like to introduce to you, Alejandro, formerly Commander Numbuh 529. He was the founder and leader of the RND's _Metal Dragon_ Close-Quarters Assault Unit―the unit that I was in―as well as my mentor. He's saved my ass more times than I can remember!"

"Very nice to meet you, sir! Numbuh 1 spoke very highly of you during his last visit. Thank you for taking care of him for us," said Numbuh 5, shaking his hand and saluting, as did Numbuhs 86 and 362.

"Um, hello there, mister . . . what was it again?" asked Numbuh 86, blushing.

"Alejandro," he answered, "Very nice to meet you. Numbuh 1's spoken very highly of you all as well."

"I would also like to introduce to you, Crystal, his younger sister," said Numbuh 1, "She recently joined our group, and from what Alejandro's told us, she's definitely someone we want on our side."

They immediately greeted Crystal as well and went on to greet the rest of the new members.

"Wow, you've certainly recruited some rather . . . interesting . . . new allies, Numbuh 1! Well then, shall we get everyone accommodated inside?" said Numbuh 362.

"Actually, I'm sorry to say, but we can't stay for more than one night," said Numbuh 1, "We're going to be carrying out a very dangerous rescue operation tomorrow. That's actually why we came. You see, I've . . . _we've_ . . . lost someone very dear to us, and don't want to lose anyone else. So we were wondering if some of them could stay here?"

"I'm so sorry to hear that! Of course they can stay! Right, Numbuh 5?" asked Numbuh 362.

"Sure thing, baby! We could use some more hands around here. But, you gotta tell me everything that happened out there."

"Thank you, Numbuh 5," replied Numbuh 1. Once inside, he recounted everything that had occurred during their absence, including their recent loss, which garnered much sympathy from the three of them.

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Numbuh 1," said Numbuh 5, sadly, "I can't even imagine how you're feeling."

"Trust me, you don't even want to imagine it," he replied, "Now then, I'd rather not dwell on the subject any more than I have to, so let's get to business."

"I understand. So who will be staying with us?" she asked.

"We still have yet to figure that out," he replied.

As most of the others either went off to bed in the personnel-quarters or discussed the matter of who would be going and staying, Aang, Toph, Katara, Sokka, Ty Lee, and Suki wandered off close-by to explore their strange and surreal surroundings.

The walls appeared to be made of glowing, yellow wood, while the floor was completely metal, which finally allowed Toph to sense her vastly unfamiliar surroundings.

"What kind of tree is this?" wondered Katara.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, I'm pissed!" said Sokka, "How could they build a base on the moon?!"

Sokka was referring to the fact that his first girlfriend, Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe, had sacrificed herself in order to become the new Moon-Spirit when the first one was killed by the evil Admiral Zhao of the Fire Nation.

"Sokka, this is another dimension, so it's a different moon," said Katara.

"Still! Do they have no respect at all?!"

"Says the guy who yells _whoo, get you some, _as he walks in on me kissing a guy," said Toph, with a sour expression.

"Look, I'm sorry about that, okay?!" yelled Sokka, "and to be fair, I was yelling that at Alejandro―not you!"

"Speaking on that, what were you thinking, Toph?!" whispered Katara, angrily, as she looked around, making sure that no one was around to hear them. "I told both you and Ty Lee not to get involved with any of these guys! I expected Ty Lee to disregard my words, but _you?!_"

"Hey!" said Ty Lee, offended.

"Mind your own damn business, Sugar-Queen!" retorted Toph.

"Ladies, please don't fight!" said Aang, getting in between the both of them.

"I'm just looking out for you, Toph! Can't you see that? I don't want either of you to get hurt! How well do you know this guy? How do you know that he isn't just some lecherous perv? Or even if he isn't, what if, when this is all over, you two can never see each other again? Or what if something happens to him during a battle? You'll be left a mourning wreck! There's so much that can go wrong!"

"That didn't stop you and Aang!"

"That's different! The war was over when we finally got together!"

"I don't care! You may have had a perfect, little, fairy-tale romance, but not everyone else can!"

Frustrated, they turned away from each other, both nearly at their boiling point.

"Perhaps it's best if we head back with the others. We should help in deciding who is staying and who is going. Besides, it's already pretty late," said Aang, trying his best to divert the subject.

Much to his relief, the others agreed and headed back with him to the WND war-room, where they found Alejandro, Crystal, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Jack, Zuko, Mai, Numbuhs 1 and 5, Dexter, Eddy, Double D, and Kevin seated at a large table

"What's up, guys? Still trying to decide?" asked Aang.

"We pretty much have it figured out," said Numbuh 1, "that is, except for your group."

Aang turned to the others, waiting for their input. "Well, guys, who's it gonna be?"

"Mai and I have decided to stay," said Zuko, "The WND is short on combat trainers, and Numbuh 5 said that new recruits are arriving everyday. I'd hate for our army to be ineffective in battle, so we'll oversee their training for now."

"Then I'll stay, too," said Suki.

"Suki?!" exclaimed Sokka, "I wanted you to go with us!"

"I'm sorry, Sokka. I'd really love to go and be with you, but they're gonna need my help," said Suki, "Besides, I have a lot of teaching experience from back home that could be useful here."

Sokka thought for a moment before sadly nodding.

"Thank you for understanding," said Suki, holding and kissing him tenderly.

"Just be sure to contact us immediately if something dangerous goes down, you hear?" said Sokka.

"You got it," she responded.

"Well then, now that we have that settled, we should all go and rest up for tomorrow's mission," said Alejandro, "I have a bad feeling that we're definitely gonna need to be at a hundred percent for this."

* * *

"Planet Muerte in view, Numbuh 1," said Numbuh 2476, "ETA is five minutes, people!"

"I've uploaded the coordinates for the prison in the Orkando Wastelands. They should be popping up any second now," he replied.

"Yup, got 'em," she said.

"Alright, to everyone at the cargo bay . . . all I gotta say is prepare yourselves for one hell of a fight!"

"What?! You're not coming, Numbuh 1?!" asked Numbuh 4, teasingly.

"Are you kidding? I'm on my way!" he responded through the communicator.

"Planet _Muerte_ . . . _Orkando_ Wastelands . . . such nice names," said Alejandro, sarcastically.

"What do they mean?" asked Sanji.

"Planet Death, and the Suffocating Wastelands," he answered.

"You had to ask!" yelled Usopp, covering his ears.

"Alright, people, entering the planet's atmosphere," said Numbuh 2476, "get ready for a halo-jump onto the prison!"

"What's a _halo-jump_?" asked Sokka.

"We're jumping off of the ship and using Dexter's _Smart-Descent_ automated wing-suit system to slow our fall and make the landing as safe as possible."

"Oh man, and I thought riding on Appa was bad enough!" said Toph, clutching her head in dread. She now wore a light-green set of WND armor, which was made mostly of alien bullet-proof materials and had metal plates along the arms, legs, chest, stomach, and back.

Appa, in his custom-made quarters that were built by Dexter, let out a loud roar in response.

"Don't worry, buddy, she didn't mean that!" said Aang, giving Appa's head a wide hug.

"Please, have no fear, Miss," said Dexter to Toph, tossing her a WND earpiece. "I'll be guiding you down remotely via my computer, and I'll keep in contact with you through that earpiece to let you know when to prepare for your landing. The wing-suit will automatically disengage once you've touched solid ground."

"Oh, okay. I trust you to not get me killed, you hear?" she said, sternly.

"We're entering prison airspace! Get into your designated pairs, everyone!" yelled Numbuh 2476, opening the ship's cargo ramp

The ship gave a sudden, violent jerk as missile fire began hitting it.

Looking at the giant monitor on the wall of the cargo area, they saw that the prison, which looked like a hellish, twisted cluster of jagged, black towers in the middle of a harsh, desert wasteland, held a massive banner on it that read: _WELCOME TO YOUR DEATH._

"Son of a―! They were freakin' expecting us!" yelled Alejandro.

"They took your friends. How were they _not _expecting you!" said Crystal.

"Good point!" he replied facepalming, "You know, as someone with an I.Q. of 140, I sure as hell sometimes think that they forgot to put the negative in front of it on my results!"

"Vanguards have been spotted!" yelled Numbuh 2476.

On the monitor were three video feeds: one was of the Land Vanguard standing outside of the main prison gate, within a wide space that was surrounded by massive rocks and wrecked machinery. The second was of the Ocean Vanguard standing in the middle of a large, shallow, water reservoir just outside of the prison walls. Finally, the last was of the Sky Vanguard sitting in a cross-legged, meditative position in the middle of a landing pad for aircraft, atop the roof of one of the prison's largest and tallest towers.

"What's on the _screen_ or whatever it's called?" asked Toph.

"The three vanguards, and it looks like they're waiting for us to challenge them!" replied Sokka.

"Then I call dibs on the Land-guy!" she exclaimed.

"I'll take care of the Ocean Vanguard," said Katara.

"I guess that leaves the Sky Vanguard for me," said Aang.

"No. He's mine to fight," said Numbuh 1, sternly.

"Actually, I think it would be better for you to take him on with Aang, as a team. Don't forget, their main goal is to capture Aang," said Alejandro, "the same goes for you, Toph, and you, Katara. Team up with someone."

"I don't think that Aang should go out there," said Katara, concerned.

"Katara, please, let me help you guys out. It's because of me that we had to come here!" said Aang, "If the WND hadn't needed to rescue me, their friends would still be with them. Please understand that I need to do this."

"Fine, just please be careful," said Katara, concerned, "And don't do anything stupid. So then, who'll be accompanying me?"

"I will," said Zoro. "I saw that Ocean guy use water like blades. I'd really like to fight something like that."

"Wait, what about Toph, then?" asked Sokka.

"Don't worry about me, Snoozles―I don't need anyone else!" proclaimed Toph, proudly. She then put on the wing-suit, "Yo, _Poindexter,_ get ready to guide me down."

"Ready at any time," said Dexter, amused at her nickname for him.

"Sweetness," said Toph, grinning mischievously.

"Toph!" yelled Katara, in a scolding manner. "Quit being such a proud fool, and accept some help every now and then!"

Toph ignored her as she walked over to Alejandro and pulled him aside.

"Um, What's up?" he asked, nervously.

"I just . . . in case this mission doesn't go well, I just wanted to . . ." she stopped, unsure of what to say.

"Don't say that. We're gonna pull this off! I just know―"

She suddenly cut him off with a kiss, and embraced him tightly.

When they eventually parted, he said: "Please, Toph, take someone with you. I'll go, if you want."

"Passing over the Land Vanguard!" announced Numbuh 2476.

"Sorry, Tough-Guy . . . but I don't need any help." She then quickly ran and jumped off the ramp.

"Toph!" yelled Alejandro, along with the others.

Unexpectedly, Crystal jumped off as well, which freaked everyone out, as she didn't have a wing-suit on.

Alejandro quickly tuned his earpiece onto their private channel, "Crystal, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Don't worry, _Alex__―_I don't need the wing-suit, trust me. I'm gonna make sure she gets back to you alive."

". . . Thank you," he sighed as a wave of relief washed over him, "You better be careful down there, you hear me?"

"You bet."

The signal then cut off.

"Alright, Miss Toph, brace yourself for the landing . . . now!" said Dexter into his earpiece. "Very good. Notify us once he has been dealt with. Over and out."

"Ocean Vanguard at six o'clock!" said Numbuh 2476.

Katara and Zoro walked out onto the ramp and jumped simultaneously, which prompted their wing-suits to tether to one another for the descent. It was one of two failsafe protocols against the miniscule chance of parachute failure.

Turning back toward the center of the prison, Numbuh 2476 announced: "Sky Vanguard, coming right up! You better get him good for all of us, Numbuh 1!"

"I was planning on it!" he exclaimed, jumping off with Aang.

"Alright, Numbuh 2476, head to the drop-off point over the heart of the prison!" commanded Alejandro.

"Way ahead of you! Start jumping in about thirty seconds!" she said.

When the prison's inner-yard came into view, they jumped in the following pairs: Alejandro and Eddy, Luffy and Samurai Jack, Dexter and Ty Lee (much to Sanji's discontent), Sokka and Usopp, Sanji and Numbuh 4, Double D and Ed, and finally, Kevin and Rolf. The only ones to stay aboard were Numbuh 2476 and Chopper.

Each pairings' wing-suits tethered before their parachutes automatically deployed, granting everyone a safe landing.

"That was actually pretty awesome!" exclaimed Eddy.

"Let's do that again!" laughed Ed.

"Let's not," said Double D, hugging the ground.

Both Usopp and Sokka just vomited as Luffy, Eddy, Numbuh 4, and Kevin pointed and laughed.

"Get to cover, guys, we have incoming Unisols!" yelled Alejandro, taking aim with his solar-rifle. "Stay sharp! These look a bit different than normal!" He was referring to their new, black and red camouflage uniforms, as well as their bigger assault-rifles.

Everyone dashed behind one of the large supply crates that littered the prison yard and opened fire on the advancing squads, which were firing back as well, with near fatal accuracy.

"Damn it, they're good! These are definitely new and improved from the usual fodder. Who's got the incendiary grenades, and how many?!" yelled Alejandro.

"Right here, dude! I've got five!" responded Kevin.

"Throw two into their ranks! Usopp, I need you to unleash a couple of your Exploding Stars as well! Everyone else, lay down some blind cover-fire!"

"Yes, sir!" they responded.

Unleashing their initial round of explosives, they managed to cut the Unisol numbers down somewhat, and then proceeded to let loose another successful volley.

"Usopp, if you have any smoke bombs, put up a screen! We have to flank them from both sides! Everyone, stay low when you move out!"

When the screen was up, they split up into two equal groups and quickly moved out, crouching low so as to lessen the chances of being hit by blind-fire. Then, taking positions at either side of the Unisols, they opened fire once more and whittled them down to a few stragglers that were quickly dealt with by Jack's blade.

"You know, I can think of so many times in the past when these things would have come in so much handy!" said Sokka, admiring his solar-rifle.

Running across the rest of the vast prison yard, they ran into the large construct in the center that acted as the main facility for the prison.

"We need to find their records! There's sure to be mention of where our friends are being kept!" said Double D, running ahead of the group as he looked for any sign as to where that could be.

"Too bad these cruddy Unisols can't feel any pain, or I'd torture it outta them!" yelled Numbuh 4.

"Actually, if we can just find a computer, I can hack it and find them in a flash!" said Dexter.

"Found one!" yelled Ed, looking through a large hole in the rotted wall.

When they peered in, they saw what appeared to be a giant metal tower that had glowing patterns running all over it within a vast and dimly-lit room. When they entered, the lights brightened up substantially, revealing the rest of the strange chamber. The floor, the walls, and even the ceiling looked to be made of thousands of massive, dark-gray cables that lent the chamber a nearly organic look, and all converged at the top of the tower. It was almost as if they were within some giant, cyborganic creature.

"This place definitely gives me the creeps!" commented Sokka, feeling just as uneasy as when he was in the Moonbase's organic landing bay.

"That's a computer?!" asked Numbuh 4, "Where the hell is the screen?"

"It's definitely a computer, and if I'm not mistaken, it may just be the main server for the prison's infrastructure! This will definitely be of some use!" exclaimed Dexter, excitedly, "Time to pay them back for what they did to my laboratory!"

* * *

Katara and Zoro stepped into the shallow reservoir and approached the blue-garbed Ocean Vanguard, who stood waiting patiently with his arms crossed.

"You both wish to die by my hand?" he asked.

"It'll be you who dies here! And there! And a little bit of everywhere, for that matter!" growled Zoro, drawing all three of his swords, "I'm gonna make sure to leave you in no less than one hundred pieces."

"A talking insect. How amusing," sneered the Vanguard.

Using his inhuman speed, Zoro instantly appeared beside him and took multiple swings, but the Ocean Vanguard simply dodged them with remarkable timing, and countered with a small wave of water that acted as a saw blade, but barely missed as Zoro twisted out of the way and dashed around behind him for a pierce attempt, but the Ocean Vanguard used the water around his legs to instantly move out of reach.

Freezing Zoro in place, he lashed out with another blade-wave, but it was stopped at the last moment by Katara, who had surrounded herself in water, forming it into an octopus-like barrier around herself, and had outstretched one of her water tentacles in order to disrupt the attack.

"You little bitch!" yelled the Vanguard, highly annoyed at her interference.

Katara expertly evaded all of his furious water strikes, while countering with her own, but neither one was able to hit the other.

Realizing that she wouldn't be able to stand up to him for long, Katara froze a thick layer of water around herself in the shape of a giant sphere and attempted to run the Vanguard down.

He desperately tried cutting through the sphere, but to no avail, as it was much too dense, and ended up jumping out of the way at the last moment, only to run directly into Zoro's reach, who was now free after cutting himself loose.

Zoro immediately swung his blades with astonishing accuracy and sliced up the Vanguard's chest armor with minimal effort, rendering it useless. He was about to deliver the killing blow when he suddenly felt himself lose control over his own body, and was forced onto his knees by an unseen force.

_Damn it, it's like back in that tunnel! He's controlling my blood! _Zoro thought, angrily.

Unfreezing the ice-sphere, Katara quickly returned to using her Octopus-technique and lashed out with all eight tentacles before also losing control of her own body.

"A good, but futile effort! Your Waterbending was good, young lady, but you ultimately stood no chance against mine! And you, swordsman, did you really believe that you could kill me with blades?!" he laughed as he lifted them into the air before slamming them facedown into the shallow water, "You've lost! Now drown, you pathetic humans!"

* * *

"I've done it!" yelled Dexter, unplugging his wrist-computer from the massive server tower, "I've found Dee Dee and the others, and even messed with their anti-air defenses! They're shooting blind! Oh yeah, and I may have just set a few . . . thousand prisoners free to riot. But not in the wing that we need to go."

"Nice going, Dex! So where to?" inquired Kevin.

"Lead the way!" said Double D.

"According to this map of the prison, we have to head north as far as the main corridor will take us, and then use the elevators to reach the top floor. I'll direct us from there." said Dexter, studying the prison's layout on his wrist-computer. "Since I've corrupted their anti-air systems, it should be safe to call in my Robo-Dexo 2000 for extraction once we have them."

Finally with a clear route in mind, they quickly ran back out into the corridor and followed it down all the way when a group of NGUs suddenly stood in their way. Jack quickly leapt into the center of the group before they could fire, and swung his sword around in a single circle, causing all the NGUs to drop instantly from the swift decapitation.

They soon reached the end of the hallway as another, even larger group of NGUs began to chase after them, but were quickly left in the dust when the WND boarded the large, service elevators to the eighteenth and final floor.

"Okay, from here, just follow every 'restricted' sign!" said Dexter, taking point.

Along the way, they passed prisoners of varying species, as well as many who yelled out some rather lewd comments about Ty Lee as she passed by their cells. One of them even reached for her through his bars with one of his red furry arms, but was stopped by her lightning-quick, pressure-point strikes that caused his arm to fall limply and temporarily unusable.

"Damn it, Girlie, I just wanted to talk!" he yelled in a rather deep, almost growl-like voice.

"You know, I was thinking about letting these guys loose―you know―seeing as they're prisoners of the Fallen Hand, and all. But now, I'm really having second-thoughts," said Alejandro.

"This is it! That must be where they are!" yelled Dexter, turning to the left into another corridor, except this one had no cells on the side and only culminated in a large, metal door.

Once they were at the door, Kevin immediately pounded on it, yelling: "Nazz, if you're in there, please answer me! It's me, Kevin!"

"Kevin, is that really you?!" sounded Nazz from the other side. "Please get us out of here! This is so not cool!"

"Hold on, Babe, we'll think of something!" he assured her while frantically studying the huge, metal door.

"There's no use! This blast-door was built to withstand even intensely high-powered blasts!" observed Dexter.

"I can knock it down!" said Luffy, winding up his arm.

"He's not kidding! Everyone in the cell, get away from the door and take cover, now!" yelled Alejandro.

"Gum-Gum Rifle!" yelled Luffy as he let loose his fist against the blast-door and instantly knocked it out from the doorway and slammed it against the back of the cell, opening a large hole to the outside.

Kevin immediately ran to Nazz and picked her up in a loving embrace as Jimmy ran towards Ed, crying tears of joy: "Oh, thank you! Thank you! I thought we were going to die in there!" his tears suddenly stopped as he looked around, "Where's Sarah?!"

"It's about damn time!" said Marie, "Where the hell are Lee and May?".

"Please calm yourselves, all of you," said Double D, "They're waiting for us elsewhere."

"Oh no . . ." said Dexter in a devastated manner, falling onto his knees. "What's going on here?! . . . Where's Dee Dee?!"

* * *

Toph stood up from the ground after rolling to lessen the impact of her landing, and immediately sensed the presence of both the Land Vanguard in the distance, as well as someone else, nearby.

"So he sent you to help me out, I'm assuming?" said Toph, highly annoyed.

"Nope. I just jumped out because I wanted to," said Crystal, who had already landed before Toph, due to not having a wing-suit.

"Either you're telling the truth, or you're a really good liar," said Toph, still angry even after not sensing any sign of untruthfulness from her.

"Listen, Toph, you can choose to believe me or not, but please, don't be angry at my brother," said Crystal, "I chose to do this on my own, for him. It may look like we fight a lot and don't get along, but I love Alex very much, and I'd hate to see him devastated because of your reckless decision. I can see that you're tough and proud, so trust me, I can relate―but you've gotta accept some help every once in a while!"

Toph was caught off-guard by her statements, and nodded. She finally sensed Crystal's whole-hearted sincerity, and understood her reasoning.

"Fine," said Toph, "But we're doing this _my_ way."

"And that is?"

"Don't get in the way."

"Whatever. Let's just kick this guy's butt already."

They both began approaching the green-garbed Land Vanguard, who stood waiting patiently with his arms crossed in the distance.

"So, um . . . _Alex?_" inquired Toph.

"Oh yeah, that's what our family and his best friends from back home call him."

"Huh. Good to know."

"Good afternoon, ladies. Ready for your burial?" said the Land Vanguard in mock-seriousness as they drew near.

"Aw! You were really gonna bury us? How sweet and thoughtful!" chimed Crystal, sarcastically, "because, you know . . . we were just gonna leave your corpse out for the birds."

Toph busted out in a fit of hysterical laughter as the Vanguard uncrossed his arms, obviously angry at Crystal's comeback.

"Well said, Curly-Cues!" laughed Toph.

"Wait, how'd you know that my hair's curly?" asked Crystal, confused, "I thought you were, you know . . . blind."

"Katara told me. She's mad jelly of your hair, you know."

"Ugh, ladies, please . . . you're already killing me!" said the Land Vanguard as he raised up his foot and stomped it down on the ground, causing a line of earth spikes to shoot up toward them.

They both quickly jumped out of the way and let loose attacks of their own.

Toph countered with multiple, razor-sharp discs of flattened earth by raising them from the ground and sending them spinning at their foe by striking them with the gauntlet plates on her arms while Crystal let loose a storm of black-bladed kunai knives.

The Vanguard immediately raised a giant, thick wall of earth that stopped their projectiles, and then, sensing where they stood, sent entire sections of the wall sliding toward them at dangerously high speeds.

Toph jabbed her fingers into the section of wall that came toward her just before the impact, and successfully disintegrated it into nothing more than a large cloud of dust that swept over her, while Crystal took her section head on and obliterated the incredibly dense wall by focusing large amounts of her chakra (_life energy_) into her fists.

"Nice! I sensed that from here!" cheered Toph.

"Thanks! Oh damn, watch out!" yelled Crystal, barely dodging another wall section.

Sensing what she meant, Toph quickly spin-kicked the massive cube that rushed toward her and stopped it in its tracks. Then, taking a wide stance, she sliced through it with one of her arms, and immediately kicked the top half directly in the center to send it hurtling toward the Land Vanguard, who jumped at it and kicked it back once again, but reformed it into a long spike as he did so.

"Hell no!" yelled Crystal as she dashed toward the spike and smashed it to pieces before it came too close to Toph.

"I totally had that!" protested Toph.

"Seriously?! No _thanks_?" replied Crystal.

"Alright, thank you, but next time, leave it to me! I may not be a ninja like you, but I _am_ a master Earthbender!"

"Okay, but don't take too many stupid risks!" said Crystal before dashing towards the Vanguard, who couldn't keep up with her position as she seemingly teleported all around him, and then let loose a spinning roundhouse that connected and sent him flying toward the small hills and machinery, where he crashed violently into a destroyed tank.

"He's really gonna feel _that_ in a few seconds!" laughed Crystal as the Land Vanguard arose from where he had landed, roaring in a furious frenzy.

"You pests! I'll bury you alive!" he yelled, lifting an entire tank using his bending and then hurled it at them.

Toph and Crystal quickly jumped back as the tank crashed down, barely missing them.

"Damn it! He nearly got us with that!" growled Crystal.

"So this bastard's a Metalbender like me?! I thought that I was the only one!" yelled Toph, outraged and genuinely surprised.

"Alright, enough of this crap! We need to _work_ together and _attack_ together!" said Crystal.

"You got it!" replied Toph, with a look of fierce determination.

"Let's take this guy down."

* * *

"Everybody, get in quick!" yelled Dexter as he and the rest of the WND fired back at the NGUs from within the cell.

The Robo-Dexo 2000 stood hovering just outside of the large hole that Luffy had made when he broke the blast-door down. Its armored chest hatch was open, awaiting the WND's escape.

"There's no break in their fire! We need some cover! Anything, please!" yelled Usopp, frantically firing the last few of his Exploding Stars.

"I got it!" yelled Luffy as he took an extremely deep breath to drastically expand his midsection, covering the entrance, but then began gradually deflating as he started laughing hysterically. "Ahahahaha! Their bullets really tickle! Hurry it up you guys!"

"Holy Mackerel!" yelled Jimmy in complete astonishment.

"Great job, Luffy! Guys, we have to get moving, now!" yelled Alejandro.

Everyone quickly scrambled out onto the Robo-Dexo until only Luffy remained, but he swiftly launched himself onto the giant robot by rapidly deflating himself to use the air as a propellant.

But before the Robo-Dexo's chest could completely close, the NGUs began firing into it, prompting everyone to hit the ground except for Ed and Marie.

"Ed, get down!" yelled Double D.

Rolf immediately pulled Ed's feet out from under him while Eddy sprung up and pulled Marie to the ground just before the NGUs' fire had nearly reached them.

"Suck on this, you cyborganic freaks!" yelled Kevin as, just before they flew away, he threw his last incendiary grenade into the cell and took out the majority of the remaining NGUs.

"Nice one, Kev!" cheered Nazz, happily jumping into his arms.

Eddy quickly looked away, pained by the scene. He was still envious of Kevin for having won Nazz's attentions.

"Um, hey, Shrimp―I mean, Eddy," said Marie, "what you did back there, I just wanted to say . . . you're alright."

Eddy was quite surprised by Marie, and in reply, answered: "Thanks, but it was nothing, really."

"Nothing? You saved my ass!" she said, "I guess what I wanted to say was . . . thank you." For the first time ever, one of the Kankers actually gave Eddy a genuinely sweet and grateful smile.

Surprised beyond words, Eddy simply smiled back and quickly turned away as his face burned up.

"I still can't believe that stupid Mandark took stupid Dee Dee!" said Dexter, angrily, "That second-rate scientist thinks that he can have my sister?! I'll kick his butt again, and then I'll get her back!"

"Hey, guys, I'm over on the south side of the prison wall," said Numbuh 2476 through their communicators.

"Copy that, Numbuh 2476, we're en route," said Dexter.

"Where do you think he took her?" asked Alejandro.

"I'm not sure. Mandark knows, firsthand, that Dee Dee is too much of a liability to keep around a laboratory, so I highly doubt that he'd take her to the Fallen Hand's Cauldron Facility. Also, seeing as how he took only Dee Dee suggests that this was a personal action, not an order. So he has to have taken her somewhere where Warmaster Surt would not find out, and thus, I doubt that she would be at the Fallen Hand HQ, either. I don't know . . . I have a feeling that I'll just have to track him down and beat it out of him!"

* * *

Aang and Numbuh 1 picked themselves up as their wing-suits disengaged and hit the ground, followed shortly by their parachutes. In the middle of the large rooftop was a landing pad for aircraft, and in the center of that sat the Sky Vanguard, cross-legged in a meditative position. He was now garbed in white instead of his usual black, and wore blackened steel-alloy chest armor.

Aang quietly whispered: "Alright, here's the plan―"

"No plan! Just attack!" yelled Numbuh 1 as he began sprinting toward their enemy.

"Wait!" yelled Aang.

"Time to pay you back, you son of a bitch!" yelled Numbuh 1 as he ran straight for him.

The Sky Vanguard quickly countered by redirecting Numbuh 1's attack to the side, and then flipped him to the ground, all while holding his sitting position.

Numbuh 1 rushed back onto his feet and attacked again, but the Vanguard blocked every strike and eventually hit back with a back-handed fist that sent Numbuh 1 tumbling off of the landing pad.

Aang quickly rushed to his side and asked: "Are you alright?"

Numbuh 1 stayed silent and got back onto his feet. He then suddenly jumped back onto the landing pad and resumed his furious strikes, which were all easily blocked once again. But this time, he began applying some interception techniques and was finally able to counter a few of the blocks with arm grapples, followed closely by quick and powerful strikes that hit their mark repeatedly.

This infuriated the Sky Vanguard and caused him to bend the air around him into a powerful wind that sent Numbuh 1 rolling toward the edge of the tower, but Aang quickly saved him with a gust of his own that stabilized him enough to barely grab the edge of the rooftop in time.

Numbuh 1 quickly scrambled away from the edge and went back over to Aang.

"Will you listen to me now?" he asked.

Numbuh 1's face took on a look of annoyance and anger, but he finally nodded.

"I know that you really want to beat this guy because of what he did, but you need to fight him with the proper mentality."

"That's easy for you to say. I can't look at the bastard without feeling pure hatred!"

"Please, calm yourself! He's an Airbender! You need a clear head if you want to stand any chance against him! We need to strategize and attack him together!"

"Well then here's my strategy: You cancel out his Airbending, while I attack!"

"I guess that's a start," said Aang as they turned back to face their foe.

"Of all the warriors in your band, they sent _you two__―_An emotionally distraught teenager and the Avatar? Seriously, Numbuh 1, did you all forget that we're trying to capture him, or something? Were Numbuh 529 and the Samurai too busy? I mean, with you as his back-up, you practically delivered him to us on a silver platter!" laughed the Sky Vanguard as he finally stood up, "I was hoping for a real challenge!"

"Ignore him, Numbuh 1! He's just trying to anger you even further!" said Aang.

"Yeah? Well, it's working!" yelled Numbuh 1 as he rushed at him again, only to be kicked in the face and knocked away before he could even throw the first punch.

The Sky Vanguard then began amassing a large amount of air around himself and then shot it at both Aang and Numbuh 1, but Aang countered with his own powerful gust of wind, barely able to hold it back.

Taking this opportunity, Numbuh 1 dashed behind the Sky Vanguard to deal some damage, but was unsuccessful as the Vanguard instantly countered with a quick burst of air that sent him rolling away.

Aang suddenly let up on his Airbending and jumped to the side, dodging the Vanguard's gust of wind to unleash a cascade of flames at him.

The Sky Vanguard swiftly dodged every fireball until Aang switched up his rhythm and finally landed a few shots.

"Agh! Damn you, Avatar!" he yelled while in great pain.

"Control the rhythm, control the fight," said Aang, repeating something that he'd heard Alejandro say.

Numbuh 1 suddenly reappeared beside the Sky Vanguard and attacked with a continuous string of strikes that pushed the tall Ilumari toward the edge of the landing pad, and finally jumped and twisted in mid-air to deal a devastating spin-kick that knocked the Vanguard off of his feet and onto the ground, where Aang topped things off with a massive fireball that exploded on impact, sending smoke everywhere.

Numbuh 1 slumped onto the ground as a sense of relief washed over him. _He's finally gone, _he thought, as Aang walked over to him.

They were about to notify the rest of the WND when, all of a sudden, they found themselves unable to breathe, no matter how hard they tried.

When they dropped to the ground in a state of panic, the sound of familiar and horrible laughter sounded from behind them as the smoke from Aang's fireball finally disappeared, revealing the Sky Vanguard, covered in severe burn marks and wearing nothing but his tattered, white ninja-style pants. His mask and armor had been completely blown off, revealing his distinguishing Ilumari features, which included his gray-skin, pointed ears, and all-white eyes. But most striking of all, were his blue Airbender tattoos.

"Consider it an honor, gentlemen, that you get to die by the deadliest form of Bending there is . . . _Voidbending!"_

* * *

"Alright, Dex, bring it in," said Numbuh 2476.

Dexter, piloting his Robo-Dexo 2000, brought it into the _Esperanza_'s vehicle bay and docked it into its specialized charging area.

"So how did it go, Alejandro?" she asked.

"Not too bad. It got a little frantic at the end, but overall we're okay," replied Alejandro.

"That's good. I'm so glad that you're safe," she said.

". . . Thank you. I'm glad that you're safe, too. So how are the others doing?" he asked, trying to change the direction of the conversation.

He'd known for a long time that Numbuh 2476 had a romantic interest in him, but he had never reciprocated it, mostly due to the fact that she was only 16 years old, as well as an entirely different species. But he didn't blame her. After all, there were never any other Khajiit around, so who else would she fall for? But what really pained him at the moment was imagining her reaction when she found out about him and Toph. He grew very sad just thinking about how hurt she would be.

". . . Nobody's reported in, so I think they're still fighting," she said. He could sense a tone of sad disappointment in her voice, which made him feel like a horrible person.

"Is there a way to see them?" asked Sokka, "Like on that big screen-thingy?"

"Numbuh 2476, do we have any visuals?" asked Alejandro.

"I'd need to get back in the air," she said.

"No need. I've sent some surveillance-drones," said Dexter, fidgeting with his wrist-computer.

After a few seconds, the three video feeds were back on the screen.

"Is it just me or does it look like they're in some serious trouble?! We have to go help them!" yelled Sokka.

"No," said Alejandro, "they can do this! Dexter, do those drones have any speakers on them?"

"Yes, for diversionary purposes."

"Patch me in to them."

"Yes, sir!" he said, typing into his wrist-computer.

"Sanji, I'm gonna need you to start talking crap to Zoro through the first drone. I'll handle the others."

"What?" asked Sanji, confused.

"Just talk some crap to Zoro for, you know, _motivation_."

Sanji suddenly understood and stood ready for his signal.

"Alright," said Dexter, "you're in!"

* * *

The Ocean Vanguard stood intently as both Katara and Zoro slowly drowned. Katara was unable to move an inch, but Zoro was somehow able to resist the Bloodbending, and kept on slowly inching closer and closer to Katara. He was intent on at least lifting her out of the water.

_How is he able to do this?!_ the Ocean Vanguard thought, angrily. _Is he really resisting me through sheer brute force?! He should be dead by now from the internal hemorrhaging!_

Zoro finally got to her and struggled to get his arms underneath her head and chest in order to lift her up, but when he finally did, he found himself unable to move upwards.

He continued to struggle until a familiar voice sounded out of nowhere: "Giving up already, Moss-ball?! Get your lazy ass up and beat this guy already, you stinkin', no-good, second-rate swordsman! What, is he seriously a better fighter than you?! No surprise there!"

_Damn that Dumbass-Cook! When I get out of here, I'll tear him apart!_ Zoro thought intensely as he felt his strength rise exponentially with his anger, allowing him to almost completely resist the Vanguard's bending. He was in excruciating pain, but that was something that he was actually used to by now.

"No, damn you! Nobody resists my Bloodbending! Nobody!" yelled the Ocean Vanguard, struggling to stay in control, but Zoro resisted with every fiber of his being.

Lifting Katara out of the water, he picked up his swords and rushed at the Vanguard, who stopped Bloodbending in order to dodge and defend himself from Zoro's furious attacks.

"I see that you can't Bloodbend while you're defending! How unfortunate . . . that I was one of your opponents!" laughed Zoro, grinning devilishly as he got in a few good slashes.

The Ocean Vanguard quickly countered with a few blade-waves that sliced through Zoro, but to no avail, for he showed no signs of slowing down.

"What are you?!" cried the Vanguard as he jumped away in fear, but was suddenly suspended and encased in extremely thick ice, save for his head. Turning to the side, he saw Katara barely holding a Waterbending stance as she struggled to regain her breath. She had a look of pure fury.

"Now!" she yelled.

"You bitch!" he cried, as Zoro instantly appeared in front of him, smiling evilly before unleashing a whirlwind of slashes in nearly every conceivable manner with all three of his swords before finishing off with his signature _Oni Giri _Technique right through him.

The ice-block that contained the Ocean Vanguard suddenly exploded in a fountain of ice and gore.

"I told him that I'd leave him in no less than one hundred pieces," said Zoro as he swiftly cleaned and sheathed his swords. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just trying to breathe and cough up some of that water at the moment," panted Katara, looking away from the mess in the middle of the reservoir. She noticed that Zoro was covered in blood. "Wow, Chopper wasn't kidding when he said that you always take the worst damage in every major battle! I can heal you with my Waterbending."

"Don't bother. I'll live," said Zoro as the drone came back.

"Good job, guys! Just stay put. We sent Kevin Rolf, and Chopper with a Doom-Buggy to pick you up," sounded Alejandro's voice through the drone.

"Thank you," said Katara as she and Zoro sat down on the ground to rest as they awaited their ride back to the ship.

* * *

"Here he comes!" yelled Crystal as Toph summoned a cluster of large boulders from out of the ground and hit them at their charging foe.

The Land Vanguard swiftly dodged every one of them as he raised both of his arms, causing many broken-down war-machines to fly out across the battlefield from the surrounding dunes.

"It's raining freakin' tanks and armored trucks!" yelled Crystal as she and Toph scrambled around to dodge everything. Toph was only able to sense what was hurtling toward them through the air by sensing the earth and/or metal making up the objects when they came within range, and thus, she was also able to tell the size and trajectory of the objects as well.

When the metal storm was finished, the Land Vanguard sliced a tank into various pieces with his bare hands and stabbed them into the two thickest pieces of armored metal as he launched himself to where Crystal and Toph were.

Right when he landed, Crystal jumped at him with a flying kick that almost landed until he blocked it with the large metal shields on his arms. He then furiously threw a multitude of surprisingly fast strikes that were extremely difficult to avoid due to the sheer size of his makeshift, metal boxing gloves, and eventually cracked both Crystal and Toph with them, sending them both flying hundreds of feet across the metal-laden battle-ground, where they thankfully crash-landed in the sand.

"He hits like a damn train!" yelled Crystal, still on the ground.

"I feel like I just played Chicken with Appa!" said Toph, holding her head.

"Crystal! Toph!" sounded a familiar voice.

They both looked around a while before noticing the surveillance drone.

"Alex, was that you?" asked Crystal, "What is that thing? A camera?"

"Surveillance drone. Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know that the rescue was a success. Now hurry up and win already! I want you both back within fifteen minutes. Think you can do it?"

"Think we can't?!" yelled Crystal, grinning evilly as she reached behind her back and reached into the small, brown pack where she kept her "ninja-tools".

"You got it, Tough-Guy!" exclaimed Toph, stretching and cracking her neck, knuckles, and back. Then, she bended the steel plates on her arms into short arm-blades before finally dropping into a ready fighting stance.

As the sun-backed silhouette of the Land Vanguard approached in the distance, Crystal unrolled a small summoning scroll, causing a large cloud of white smoke to poof out as three, two-foot-long sections of white-colored wood landed in her hands. Besides a glossy, white finish, the wood also had a green vine design that wrapped around it multiple times. She swiftly connected them together and then held the staff out with both hands, twirling it fast as she said: "Ninja Art: Chakra-Spear Jutsu."

Suddenly, a seven-inch-long, Japanese-style spear-head that was made out of glowing, blue energy sprouted from one end of the six-foot staff, which Crystal now held in a combat-ready position.

"Bring it on, _Rusty-Dirt-Bag_!" yelled Toph as the Land Vanguard now entered into a full-on sprint toward them.

When he jumped, Crystal jumped as well to intercept him in the air, and jabbed with her chakra-spear, but he quickly blocked it with the tank pieces on his arms. When he landed, he ran straight for Toph, who braced herself as he drew closer.

She immediately began barely dodging his tank-reinforced punches, which was very difficult as she tried to dish out her own attacks with her arm-blades.

The Land Vanguard eventually wore her down enough to catch her by surprise from the left side, sending her tumbling across the ground. Jumping after her, he tried finishing her off with his tank-gauntlets, but Crystal seemingly materialized instantly between them and ran the Vanguard through with her spear, causing him to scream out in pain.

Jumping away, he stomped down and brought his fists together to cause much of the metal around them to start converging on their position, but both Crystal and Toph jumped high into the air, just in time to avoid being crushed.

Landing on either side of him, they attacked simultaneously, effectively pushing his dodging and blocking skills to the limit as he struggled to defend against both of them at once, though he still barely managed to do so as he prepared another attack. This time, he bended the outer armor of his tank-gauntlets into sharp spikes and tried charging them down, but was unable to keep up with their jumping and dashing.

After throwing a smoke-bomb, they got in a few more good hits before he went berserk.

Crystal quickly blocked multiple strikes with her chakra-spear, jabbing back at opportune moments and causing the Vanguard to cry out even more pain.

Toph, on the other hand, pulled out a handful of separate steel-cable strands from a pile of machinery beside where she landed, and metalbended them into a couple of steel-ropes, making them much thicker, and thus, much easier to hold on to.

She unleashed her steel-ropes on the Vanguard as he charged angrily at Crystal, catching his fist and giving Crystal the opportunity to deal some damage as well in the form of another spear-jab.

When he missed his counter-attack on her, Toph used the steel-ropes as whips and dealt some massive damage before using them to hold the Vanguard in place.

"Curly-Cues! Do something quick!" she yelled as Crystal stood beside her.

"On it! Hold him tight, but when I get under him―let go!" she said, focusing her chakra.

"I'll slaughter you both!" yelled the Land Vanguard as he struggled to free himself.

Crystal charged at the Land Vanguard and ducked underneath him at the last moment, where she jammed the blunt end of her spear into the ground and spun around into a powerful, upward kick that sent him flying high into the air when Toph let go of him. Crystal quickly jumped up after him, and after doing a specific series of Ninja hand-signs, which allowed her to command her chakra, she rose above the Vanguard and pummeled him back down toward the ground.

"Blue Rose Ascension Jutsu!"

The staff's blue chakra spear-head immediately turned into a cluster of blades that formed the shape of a rose as the staff shot up like a rocket toward the falling Vanguard and ripped straight through his chest in mid-air, flying back into Crystal's hands as it reached her.

"I can't believe it . . . I was actually beaten . . ." wheezed the Land Vanguard with his dying breath before his lifeless body smashed into the ground.

Crystal gracefully landed on her feet as she deactivated her spear and stowed it away.

"Damn, what a tough bastard!" sighed Toph, falling back onto the ground.

"Seriously," agreed Crystal, "I even had to pull out my ace in the hole!"

"So what happened? I couldn't tell from down here," said Toph.

"I impaled him with a giant rose, a hundred feet in the air."

"Damn, Curly-Cues! You really know how to make sure they stay down!" laughed Toph, sitting up as she sensed something, "It feels like a vehicle is headed this way. I think it's one of ours."

"Yup," said Alejandro, through the drone, "I sent a Doom-Buggy to pick you up. Nice work on taking him out. That makes two down, and one to go."

* * *

Aang and Numbuh 1 struggled for breath as the Sky Vanguard looked on with anticipation.

"Did you know, Avatar, that your people were the original creators of Voidbending?"

Aang was mortified. He just couldn't believe the Vanguard's words.

"Do you want to know how it works? You focus, not on the air molecules, but on the empty space between them, and then spread that space as wide as you can, thereby manipulating a void around your opponent . . . and suffocating them! Ironic, isn't it? Such a peaceful, pacifistic people were the creators of the most horrific and feared form of bending in the ancient past! I love it!"

_It's not true! It's not true!_ Aang desperately thought to himself. But the monks had once mentioned a dark past―an age that they lived to atone for by striving to live peacefully and spiritually. Somewhere deep in his heart, Aang knew that what the Sky Vanguard had said was the truth.

"Have no fear, Avatar. I'm not going to kill you―just your friend! After all, we need you alive. You alone have the honor of powering the most dangerous weapon of mass destruction in the Multiverse! Countless beings will die because of you! Hahahahaha!"

Aang couldn't take it any more and suddenly snapped as his corrupted Avatar-State took over. Viciously attacking the Sky Vanguard with a great stream of flames, he successfully stopping his Voidbending and even drove him to create a massive tornado around himself as a shield from the flames.

"So this is why we found you on your world! Poor, little, corrupted Avatar led us right to him!" laughed the Vanguard, struggling to sustain his tornado at maximum strength.

Aang roared furiously, shooting even more flames from his mouth as his rage increased. Mixing his Firebending in with his Airbending, he assimilated the spinning inferno into the Vanguard's own tornado in an tempt to cook the Vanguard alive.

Numbuh 1 looked on in frustration from the sidelines as one of Dexter's surveillance drones came up beside him.

"Whoa, what happened?!" sounded Alejandro's voice.

"Alejandro, what are you doing with that?" asked Numbuh 1.

"I was gonna let you guys know that the prisoners have been secured. Also, I was maybe gonna give you some battle advice, but thankfully I didn't have to. Oh yeah, Katara, Zoro, Toph, and Crystal have successfully neutralized the other Vanguards."

"Good. Thankfully, Aang activated his Avatar-State and stopped this guy from suffocating us!" said Numbuh 1, taking in another deep breath.

"What do you mean _thankfully?!_" sounded Katara's voice, "He's in his _Dark_ Avatar-State! If we don't do something quick, he'll get too out of control!"

"But his power saved us!" said Numbuh 1, "if we snap him out of it now, the Sky Vanguard will just Voidbend us again, and I have a feeling that he won't go so easy next time!"

"But if he stays like that, he'll end up killing you too!" argued Katara.

"Then I'll die happily, knowing that the Sky Vanguard is dead! At this point, Katara, I'm willing to risk it. My love for life died with Keilana."

"Numbuh 1!" this time, it was Alejandro, again. "I don't want to hear anymore of that emo bull-crap from you, do you hear me?! Look at me―when I lost Haruko, I was a hopeless wreck for weeks, cursing life everyday. But now I've realized just how wrong I was to feel that way. You may have lost Keilana, but in time, someone else worth living and dying for will come along." Alejandro looked at Toph as he said that last part. "Live and fight for your friends and family, Numbuh 1, and you'll fight like never before!"

Numbuh 1 now remembered what Alejandro had told him before: "_Fight to protect those who remain, not to punish for those who were lost! Only then will you fight to your full potential!_"

"Now just kick this guy's ass so we can go home, already!" yelled Alejandro.

"We will," said Numbuh 1, feeling a newfound invigoration, purpose, and even peace.

_If I stay in here, I'll be dead for sure. _The Sky Vanguard thought desperately as he was still surrounded by a spinning vortex of flames. Finally deciding on a plan of action, he surrounded himself with an intense and powerful aura of wind and launched himself at the inferno, successfully coming out of it unscathed.

Aang, unaware of this, continued his flame vortex until the Sky Vanguard jumped up to his position in the air and spin kicked him back down onto the roof-top, quickly following with a storm of condensed air-punches that flew down through the air and burst upon impact.

Taking this opportunity, Numbuh 1 quickly jumped up behind the Vanguard and delivered a flying knee into his back, effectively knocking him back down onto the roof-top as well. Before the Vanguard could fully stand back on his feet, Numbuh 1 dashed over and unleashed a flurry of straight strikes into his face and topped it all off with a spinning roundhouse that sent him rolling across the floor.

This time, the Vanguard shot up onto his feet using the air and tried to strike Numbuh 1 with a wide side-swipe, but he just ducked underneath it and countered with a straight-lead punch that knocked the Vanguard back a bit before he let loose another series of powerful hits that left his foe in a daze. Finally, Numbuh 1 ran up to the stumbling Ilumari and jumped, rising just enough to deliver a downward elbow strike onto the crown of his head, resulting in his opponent falling instantly to the ground.

"How is this possible?!" he yelled, writhing on the ground, in pain.

"Easy: I've stopped fighting you out of anger, and finally cleared my head enough to focus on my techniques."

"So you've forgiven me? Even after finding out that I betrayed the RND? Even after killing the girl that you loved?"

"I didn't forgive you. I just see no point in punishing you for what you've done. It won't bring them back. But I will stop you from hurting more of my friends! Numbuh 1-Trillion, you've lost this fight, and I'm bringing you in as a prisoner of the WND. I'll see to it that you're executed by your own people for your crimes!"

"No you won't!" said the broken Ilumari from the ground as he reached out in Numbuh 1's direction and began Voidbending the air away from him.

_Why didn't I anticipate this?! Damn it, Aang still isn't awake! _Numbuh 1 thought, horrified as he struggled desperately to take a breath. _I'm really going to die!_

Suddenly the Sky Vanguard stopped his Voidbending as he thrashed around on the ground, holding his throat.

Numbuh 1, finally able to breathe, looked around and saw that Aang was back up, still in his Dark Avatar-State and Voidbending their foe.

Noticing Numbuh 1, he suddenly began Voidbending him as well.

"Aang, stop!" sounded Alejandro's voice from the drone.

But the Voidbending continued as Aang roared furiously, shooting jet-streams of flames from his mouth, into the air. A large, black and white wormhole even opened up beside the tower as a result of his rage.

Katara quickly took over. "Aang, please, calm down! Don't do this! I beg you . . . don't kill them!" she had tears streaming down her face. "Don't kill them, Aang, please!"

This time, something got through to Aang, and his Voidbending stopped as he dropped from the air, now in his normal state. Still conscious, he stood up and walked over to the Sky Vanguard, who tried getting onto his feet but fell back down, still messed up from Numbuh 1's severe beating.

"Stay away from me, you hear!" he yelled, attempting to Voidbend, but Aang swiftly redirected his hand with a burst of air and pinned him down.

"You've hurt and killed too many people!" said Aang.

"So then finish me!" yelled the Sky Vanguard.

"No, too easy . . . I'm going to take your bending away!"

"Wait, you can't! . . . Please don't!"

But his cries fell on deaf ears as Aang touched his thumb down onto the Vanguard's forehead, specifically on one of his main Chakra points, and activated his Energybending.

The Sky Vanguard screamed as he felt his power leave him, and then dropped onto the ground when the deed was done.

Aang stepped over the screaming Sky Vanguard as he went over to Numbuh 1, who was still coughing on the ground.

"Thanks," said Numbuh 1 as Aang helped him up, "Whoa, what did you do to him?"

"Exactly what I said―I took his Bending away. He's no longer a threat to us."

"The Sky Vanguard is down, Alejandro. Requesting pick-up," said Numbuh 1, into his communicator, "and prepare the holding cell. He's coming along for the ride."

"Copy that. Good job, guys."

Aang and Numbuh 1 turned around to face the Vanguard, but noticed that he had crawled to the edge of the roof-top where the wormhole was.

"Stop him!" yelled Numbuh 1, but before Aang could pull him in, the Sky Vanguard quickly let himself drop and get sucked into the wormhole.

"Damn it!" yelled Numbuh 1, punching and cracking the floor.

Aang was momentarily speechless. He cursed himself for not keeping an eye on the Vanguard.

"Numbuh 1 . . . I'm so sorry. I―"

"Don't worry about it, Aang. Like you said, he's no threat to us, now."

Within seconds, the _Esperanza _came into view, and stopped next to the edge, lowering its vehicle ramp onto the tower.

Aang and Numbuh 1 quickly ran in, where they were immediately greeted with cheers from their friends. Katara immediately ran into Aang's arms, thankful for his safety.

"That was awesome!" exclaimed Numbuh 4, "especially the way you beat the living crap out of that stupid Vanguard, Numbuh 1! We saw it all on the screen!"

Numbuh 1 appreciated their comments and compliments, but he still held a saddened look on his face.

"What's wrong?" asked Alejandro, "Is it because he got away? Don't worry, Numbuh 1. I'm proud of your decision to let justice take care of it. His escape was just an unforeseen circumstance. Don't beat yourself up for it. We'll get him next time."

Numbuh 1 smiled and bowed his head in thanks.

"Now then, let's get home!"

"Alejandro, bogey coming in hot! Its bio-signature is the same as a Unisol, but its energy readings are off the charts!" yelled Numbuh 2476.

On the screen, they saw what appeared to be a Caucasian man with dark-brown hair, sunglasses, and an expensive-looking black suit and tie, soaring up through the air to the ship.

"Bring up the shields!" commanded Alejandro.

But it was too late. Before the shields could be activated, the man reached them and lifted his leg straight up to deliver a devastating downward axe-kick to the front of the ship, and actually managed to bring it down.

"Hold on tight!" yelled Numbuh 1 as the ship spun out of control, until it crashed down into one of the giant prison structures, inside which, it finally hit the ground violently.

Then, total darkness and silence.

* * *

The ship lights began slowly brightening up as everyone came to and assessed their situations.

"Is everyone alright?!" sounded Numbuh 2476.

"We'll survive," said Numbuh 1, "How are you holding up?"

"I may have a broken rib or two. I'm not sure."

"Chopper, can you check up on her?" asked Alejandro.

"Yes, sir!" he said as he quickly left the vehicle bay.

"Numbuh 2476, do we have any visuals on the attacker?" asked Numbuh 1.

"None at the moment. The cameras are still jacked up from the crash."

"I'm just outside the ship, Mr. Uno," boomed a familiar voice.

"Wait, that voice!" exclaimed Numbuh 1, "It couldn't be . . ."

"Smith!" exclaimed Dexter, with a look of fury. "I'd recognize that stupid voice anywhere!"

"I told you all that I'd be back, didn't I?" he laughed.

"That's Smith?! From back in your lab?! But I thought that he was just a computer virus!" exclaimed Double D, fearfully.

"He was, but my guess is that Mandark engineered a body for him, and I have no doubt that Smith demanded only the best materials. I sense that we are in no condition to fight him."

"Indeed he has, and indeed you are not. And please, call me _Agent _Smith," he said, in a mocking tone.

"I'll fight him!" exclaimed Luffy.

"And so will I," said Alejandro, "Let us off."

"Right!" said Numbuh 1, pressing the button for the vehicle ramp.

Alejandro and Luffy quickly jumped out as the ramp was barely half-way open. The ship had crashed into the chamber that they'd found earlier with the giant server tower, which was fortunate because the thousands of thick, rubber cables that lined the walls, floor, and ceiling had provided a relatively soft landing for the ship.

Agent Smith stood in the center of the chamber with his hands in his pockets, grinning evilly as they approached him.

"Smith! Where did Mandark take Dee Dee?!" shouted Dexter, angrily.

"Once again, that's _Agent_ Smith. And how should I know? His goal was the girl, while mine is the Avatar. Give him to me, and I'll find Mr. Astronomonov for you. A fair trade, don't you think so? The Avatar for your dear sister?"

"Damn you, Smith! How dare you," growled Dexter, "No deal!"

"Then enjoy watching your friends die while you can, because you're next!" yelled Agent Smith as he launched himself into the air.

Luffy quickly put up his guard as Smith landed directly in front of him and began unleashing a torrent of extremely powerful strikes that forced Luffy to focus on defense and rendered him unable to counter.

Alejandro instantly dashed over and tried to flank him with a roundhouse kick from the side, but Smith simply blocked and swiped with a back-handed fist that sent Alejandro flying all the way back to the wall, where he hit and bounced off of the cables that padded it.

Taking advantage of the break in the attacks, Luffy finally stretched his arm back and delivered his Gum-Gum Pistol attack which sent Agent Smith skipping across the entire chamber as well.

Alejandro launched himself over to Smith and, landing beside him, initiated an onslaught of rapid, powerful strikes that Smith tried countering, only to be intercepted and countered, himself.

Growing frustrated, Smith activated his super-speed capabilities and became way too fast for Alejandro to intercept as he started his own chain of attacks.

Luffy ran over and threw both arms back. "Gum-Gum Bazooka!"

Both of his open hands shot at Smith with insane speed and smashed him against the wall, angering Smith to no end.

There was a sudden burst of smoke as he shot out from the wall and struck Luffy with a flying punch. Alejandro quickly ran up behind him and attempted to clothesline Smith from behind, but instead, Smith caught his arm and, after delivering multiple solid punches to both his stomach and face, proceeded to pick him up and hurl him across the chamber, where he crashed into the giant server.

Luffy appeared out of nowhere and bashed Smith's head from above, nearly staggering him before he angrily grabbed and picked Luffy up from his neck to throw him at the tower as well.

"Will either of you provide any sort of a challenge?!" howled Smith, furiously.

"Coming right up!" announced Luffy as he jumped back down and initiated Gear Second by rapidly pumping his own blood through his body at an inhuman rate, which caused bright, glowing, red marks that emanated steam to appear all over his body.

"Interesting. Is that supposed to make me feel fear?" asked Smith, mockingly.

Luffy's movements were so fast now that he seemingly teleported beside Smith and kicked him to the wall.

"So it actually improves your abilities and attributes. Then it's time to get serious, I presume?" said Agent Smith, pointlessly smoothing out and cleaning off his suit.

Luffy dashed over to him again, but Smith jumped just in time and kicked him in the back of his head, sending him rolling across the floor. Luffy quickly stood and wound his foot up as he appeared behind Smith to unleash a piston kick that was unexpectedly dodged and countered with a punch to his sternum, causing Luffy to spit up blood and go limp on Smith's fist.

"Pathetic. I thought you would have improved beyond this," sighed Agent Smith as he lifted Luffy with his fist still embedded in his chest, and threw him across the floor.

Alejandro finally dropped down from the CPU tower, but hit the ground violently without landing on his feet. He was in too much pain to walk, much less even stand.

"Since you're both giving up, I'll be taking the Avatar now," said Smith as he calmly began walking toward the ship. "I'll be sure to kill everyone else, so don't you worry."

"We're dead!" cried Usopp as Zoro, Sanji, and Jack ran out to stop Smith's advance.

"Stay away from him! You'll all be killed! Just take the others and get out!" shouted Alejandro from the ground. _I'm useless! I can't help them! I have to do something! _Alejandro thought desperately. Never had he felt so broken and useless, and so much so that tears began running from his eyes. _They're all gonna die! Everyone . . . Toph . . . Crystal . . . I have to save them all!_

Taking the opening, Luffy quickly stretched and wrapped himself around Agent Smith multiple times, but he simply laughed.

"What are you doing? You really think that you can constrict me, a machine?! I'm the ultimate in both Unisol and Android technology!"

"I once beat a guy who said the same thing!" said Luffy. "And I smashed him into pieces!"

"Well not me!" laughed Smith as he jumped into the air and then, pushing off of what was left of the ceiling, slammed into the ground with Luffy on his back.

But Luffy never let go, though he did cry out in intense pain.

"Fine then, I guess I'm starting with you! This next one will kill you for sure!" laughed Smith as he jumped back up to the ceiling.

"No!" cried Alejandro as Smith pushed off of it.

Then, a familiar feeling overtook him.

Agent Smith had nearly slammed into the ground when he was suddenly grabbed and stopped. Looking around in confusion, he noticed Alejandro, with glowing, light-green hair, surrounded in a bright, blazing aura of orange-colored energy.

"What happened to you?" asked Smith, genuinely curious.

Without saying a word, Alejandro threw an extremely powerful straight-lead punch that dazed Smith enough to make him stumble to the ground, where Luffy quickly let go and reactivated his Gear Second form.

"To make a machine see stars . . . now _that_ takes some power! Yes! This is what I wanted! Give me a real fight!" exclaimed Smith, readjusting his seemingly indestructible sunglasses.

Alejandro rushed at him, but Smith was ready as they locked in a flurry of back and forth combos that seemed even until Alejandro began intercepting at what seemed like the speed of light, and gained the edge.

After taking enough damage, Smith quickly broke away from him only to face Luffy once again, who spin-kicked him across the room and jumped after him to smash him down into the ground before he could even hit the wall. Enraged, Smith shot up over Luffy and did the same, but topped it off by attempting to stomp him further into the ground, though it was stopped by Alejandro who instead threw him against the wall and unleashed a long string of gatling strikes after which he grabbed him by the collar and, lifting him up, jammed his elbow as deep as he could into his stomach, causing Smith to cry out as he felt his structural integrity drop exponentially.

Throwing him out into the center of the room, Luffy quickly activated Busoshoku Haki in his left arm and shot Smith with his Gum-Gum Red Hawk, which exploded on impact with such power that it knocked the entire server tower to the ground with its shockwave alone.

When the smoke cleared, Smith stood, swaying as he tried to stand up completely.

"You guys have him beaten!" cheered Crystal.

"Finish him now!" yelled Toph holding her fists up in their air. "Finish him now!"

Alejandro took a deep breath as he focused his Saiyan energy into his arms and then channeled it into his hands, holding them together at the wrists.

"You may have killed me, but there will be other fighters! The Vanguards and I were just the beginning―the beginning, you hear?!"

"Hadouken!" Alejandro roared as he unleashed a massive, green ball of destructive energy at Agent Smith, instantly disintegrating him as he laughed maniacally.

The entire chamber started crumbling even more from the shock of the blast, and caved in all around them until all that was left was the lower half of each wall.

"Guys?!" yelled Numbuh 1, when the smoke cleared.

"Oh no . . ." said Toph, sadly putting her face into her hands.

"What?! They couldn't really be . . ." said Crystal, nervously.

"You mean, they're really . . .?" whimpered Usopp.

Both Alejandro and Luffy suddenly popped out from underneath the rubble, laughing as everyone else just sighed at their immature prank.

"Seriously, you guys?" said Crystal, containing her anger as one of her eyes twitched.

"I swear, Luffy, I'm kicking your ass when you get over here!" yelled Sanji as Zoro just laughed.

Toph also laughed hysterically, "I knew they were alive the whole time. I just played along!" She quickly calmed as Alejandro approached the ship, and then, gaining a serious, yet bright look on her face, ran and jumped into his arms.

"I'm happy that you're safe," she said as her cheeks burned up.

"And I'm happy that you're safe, too," he replied, embracing her as well.

"You're hurt," she said, concerned.

"It's nothing. Just a few broken bones," he joked, "plus, I think I almost coughed my own spine out at some point during the fight, so, you know, I should probably have Chopper check that out."

She giggled at his jokes, which made him feel great and even helped him somewhat forget the intense pain he was in. Plus, he really liked her laugh.

"Alright, you love-birds, maybe you should get back on the ship?" teased Eddy, "I wanna be off this dying rock some time today!"

As soon as they were on, the ramp closed, and the ship was off, leaving behind the burning ruins of the Orkando Prison.

**(Concluded in Epilogue)**


	4. Epilogue: A Reason to Fight

**Epilogue: A Reason to Fight**

(WND Moonbase)

"Sarah!" cried Jimmy as he reunited with his best friend.

Marie also ran and hugged her sisters as everyone came out to greet them on their return.

"How did it go?" asked Zuko as he and Aang bowed in greeting to one another. Ty Lee ran and hugged Mai, who reluctantly hugged her back. She wasn't the best with displaying her affection, or any emotions for that matter. Sokka immediately embraced Suki in a loving kiss as she jumped into his arms.

"It was quite an experience. I actually fought another Airbender! It was crazy. He even―" Aang stopped, unsure of whether he wanted to tell them about Voidbending.

"He even what? Aang, what happened?" he asked, concerned and curious to find out.

"He . . . he did the most horrible bending that I've ever seen. He called it Voidbending. He could create and control airless voids around his opponents in order suffocate them, and he nearly killed both Numbuh 1 and I with it! That is, until I freaked out again and went all Dark-Avatar on him. When Katara snapped me out of it, I couldn't bring myself to kill him, so I took his bending away."

"Just like my father," said Zuko, unwittingly initiating an awkward silence between them. He then changed the subject. "_Voidbending_ . . . really?! I wonder if my uncle knows anything about that."

"He might. The monks invented it thousands of years ago, and then kept it a secret, so who knows."

"Well, I'm just glad to see you all return, safe and sound. You should all rest up! It's getting to be pretty late."

"Will do, Zuko. Thanks."

"So, any new developments?" Numbuh 5 asked Numbuh 1.

"Apparently, Mandark broke Dexter's sister out from the prison before we even got there, but we currently don't know her whereabouts," said Numbuh 1.

"Also, everyone kicked major ass!" yelled Numbuh 4, "You should have seen them! Alejandro and Luffy were glowing and jumping all over the place! And then Alejandro's hair turned green and he beat the crap out of a really strong guy in a suit, and everything exploded! It was so cool!"

"Breathe, Numbuh 4, breathe!" laughed Numbuh 2.

"So you all got into some big fights, eh?" asked Numbuh 86, angrily keeping an eye on Toph, who had her arm wrapped around Alejandro's.

"Yeah, everyone did great, but unfortunately, my opponent got away. It was that traitor, the last supreme commander of the RND that I told you guys about. He knew we had him beaten, so he escaped the first chance he got," recounted Numbuh 1.

"You'll get him next time," said Numbuh 362, putting a hand on Numbuh 1's shoulder to comfort him.

"You're right. Besides, Aang did the most incredible thing and took his powers away. Even if he shows up again, he won't be much of a threat anymore."

"That's good to hear. Well then, you should all rest up. We've got some major prep-work tomorrow. Are you sure that you all can't stay for one more night?" asked Numbuh 362.

"I'm sorry, but we can't. Every day that we rest is another day that Dee Dee spends away from us. I just hope that it doesn't have a traumatic effect on her," replied Numbuh 1.

"Poor girl," said Numbuh 5, "Don't worry Dex, you'll find her. I know you will."

"Thank you, Numbuh 5. I'm confident that we will too. Mandark is hopelessly in love with my stupid sister, so he will keep her safe for sure. It is just a matter of finding her."

With that, everyone headed to their separate quarters to sleep their exhaustion away.

* * *

"Well then, this is goodbye, I guess," said Numbuh 362, sadly.

"For now, yes," replied Numbuh 1, "But don't worry. I have a feeling that we'll be back in no time."

Numbuh 362 suddenly hugged him before running back into the Moonbase, but Numbuh 1 noticed her tears as she did so, and felt sad that he was leaving his dimension again. He wished so badly to talk to his parents again, but decided that he would when this was all over. He vowed to win this war and come back to see them, one day.

"Bye, guys! Come back soon, you hear!" yelled Numbuh 2 as he and Numbuh 5 waved at Numbuhs 1, 3, and 4, as well as to Samurai Jack.

"Well, uh, I guess I'll see you in a few . . . weeks, I hope . . . Um, Babe?" asked Kevin.

"I don't want you to go!" cried Nazz, holding him tightly.

"Nazz, I'm sorry, but I want to help them! The Eds went through so much for us, and I feel like I need to help too! It's the least that I can do for them."

Nazz, still sobbing heavily, eventually nodded, and kissed him once more before reluctantly letting him go.

"Goodbye, Ed. Please, be careful and don't do anything stupid―or else!" said Sarah, hugging Ed. She then turned to Double D, who got as red-faced as she did before turning around.

"Farewell, Sarah," was all that he could muster before Sarah suddenly hugged him from behind.

"Take care of my stupid brother, okay?" she said, resting her forehead on his back as she cried.

"Yeah . . . I will," he finally said before making his way into the ship with a sobbing Ed in tow.

"Looks like this is goodbye, Shrimp!" said Lee Kanker, "At least, for now, right? Thanks for what you did for Marie. I heard about it, and I gotta say . . . We appreciate it."

"Thanks," said Eddy, "that means a lot, especially coming from you guys. I'll do my best to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."

He was about to get on the ship when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Marie with a sorrowful look on her face. Without saying a word, she embraced him tightly, whispered "thank you, please come back safe," and quickly turned away, red-faced.

Eddy was dumbstruck, but only for a moment.

"I will be back. I promise," with that, he got on the ship, determined to win this war and make it back.

"Bye, guys! Come back safe!" yelled Nami as she, Robin, Franky, Brook, and Jimbei waved goodbye at their fellow crewmates.

"Bye, Nami-sweetie! Bye, Robin-dear! I love you both!" yelled Sanji, with giant pink hearts over his eyes.

_Hopeless lecher,_ Zoro thought in amusement as he finally waved back at them.

"Bye guys! We'll be sure to beat up lots of bad guys for you!" shouted Luffy, smiling his usual, huge, idiotic grin. "Take good care of them, Jimbei!"

"I will, Luffy!" he replied.

"Be careful, all of you, and especially you, Sokka!" yelled Suki.

"I will! Don't you fret, Suki-baby, I'm gonna win this war for you! Whoo!" yelled Sokka, confidently.

"Bye, Mai! Bye, Fire-Lord Zu-Zu!" laughed Ty Lee, much to Zuko's annoyance.

"Take care, Aang! Remember, you're the key to all of this! Strike first and strike last!" yelled Zuko.

"I will! You can count on it!" said Aang, waving. Even Momo, who sat on his shoulder, waved goodbye.

Having said their farewells, Alejandro, Crystal, and Toph boarded the ship and headed up to the main command bridge, where everyone else was getting into their usual stations in preparation for take-off.

"So, are you nervous?" asked Alejandro.

"Nervous?" replied Toph, "About what?"

"Just . . . all of this as a whole. It must still be so new. Are you nervous about it all?"

"What? New worlds, new and unknown allies and enemies waiting around every corner, and plus, I hear you turn into a giant, rampaging gorilla under the full moon . . . nope, can't say that I am!" she laughed, "Are you?"

"Of course! Like you said, new worlds, new enemies, and worst of all, my sister's here!"

"I heard that!" yelled Crystal, from a few seats over.

Toph giggled again, which delighted him as he held her close.

"Also, I'm nervous about anything happening to either of us," he said, "I'd hate myself if I let anything happen to you."

"Alright, everyone, here we go!" yelled Numbuh 2476 as everyone cheered and hollered.

"Yeah! Let's kick some Fallen Hand butt!" cheered Crystal, fidgeting with a couple of Kunai throwing daggers.

Katara's words from earlier echoed through Toph's head all of a sudden, but she shrugged them off and replied with: "Don't worry. I know that we'll overcome anything. We're not a couple of pushovers, you know. A Master Metalbender and a Super-Saiyan badass?―We'll definitely beat anything that gets in our way ten times over before it even hits the ground!"

"There's the attitude that I love so much!" said Alejandro, pulling her in for a passionate kiss, which prompted almost everyone in the room to hoot and holler playfully at them.

"Alright, Dexter, where to?" asked Numbuh 2476, sadly turning away from the scene.

"I've pinpointed Mandark's giant fighter robot on a remote planet in the center of a fantasy based universe. That has to be where Dee Dee is!" said Dexter.

"The old RND files on it also say that it's home to two warrior-adventurers who might join our cause!" said Double D, from his station, "A boy and his talking dog. My, how whimsical! And the files say that they're both capable fighters. It could be worth investigating."

"Sounds good," said Numbuh 1, reading the printed file that Double D handed him.

"Rift-Opener at 100-percent charge. System's are ready for quantum-leap," said Dexter.

"Alright then, set a course for the Land of Ooo!"

(Cue ending theme: Circus Maximus - "Last Goodbye" - 0:00 to 3:35)

**Post-Credits Scene:**

"So they took the Avatar from us, and killed your Vanguards?" asked an unknown figure.

"Yes. My beloved sons are dead because of those festering worms," sighed Warmaster Surt, "I want the WND destroyed! I need them destroyed! And only you can do it."

The figure finally came into view. He was another adult Ilumari, only he had light-blue skin, long, white hair, white eyes, and he wore all white clothing that resembled a traditional Japanese robe.

"It would be an honor, Warmaster," replied the Ilumari, bowing his head. As soon as he stood, he instantly vanished from sight.

_Once a celebrated hero who came to be known as the Unstoppable Fist, you were considered the most skilled and powerful Ilumari in existence . . . Fenris, my dear nephew . . . make them pay._

**_FIN_**

**Thank you all so much for reading!**

**The story will continue in Codename: Warriors Next Dimension, Season 2, coming soon!**


End file.
